Sermons

Sunday 6 September 20151 John 4; 7-21
The Apostle John wrote this letter to his fellow Christians, many of whom had come to know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour through his and the other disciples teaching.
After the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70AD - the apostles, including John, moved to Asia Minor - John settling in Ephesus and it was there about 5 years later that John wrote his gospel which circulated the Christian fellowships
About five years later, John Wrote further letters - the second of which we have just read from - there was a lot of destructive heretical preaching done by false teachers and maybe because of this John wrote his letters to emphasise the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The book of Revelation came nearer the end of that first century
John combats the heresies in a gentle more pastoral way in emphasising the basic doctrines about Jesus and the Christian lifestyle. He continually emphasises the truth that Jesus is indeed the Christ - the long awaited Messiah who showed us the right way of life and that righteous conduct is essential to those who have been born again of the Spirit and that LOVE is the key -the mark of a true relationship with God.
There is a lovely story told about John in his later years by St Jerome. Jerome being the one who translated the scriptures into Latin and Hebrew from which Wycliffe translated the Bible into English and Martin Luther translated it into German.
From 374 AD to 377AD Jerome lived as a hermit in the desert east of Antioch, fasting and studying. He found a Jewish Christian nearby from whom he learned Hebrew, eventually mastering Hebrew as no other Christian of his day had. Jerome stated his own principle in studying was: to read the ancients, to study everything, to hold fast to the good, and never to depart from the Christian faith. Jerome also wrote commentary’s on many books of the bible.
In his commentary on Galatians he tells of how the Apostle John was carried into the congregation when he was old and unable to say anything except ‘Little children, love one another’. When asked why he always spoke these same words John Replied ‘ Because it is the Lord’s command and if this only is done, it is enough’.
The people of Johns day were very good at quoting the ten Commandments - the Pharisees were very strong on obedience to the letter of the law especially the Thou Shalt nots. Thou shalt not (1) have any God but Me, (2) make idols, (3) misuse the name of the Lord, (4) murder, (5) commit adultery, (6) steal, (7) give false witness (8) covet your neighbours things . The two things we are told to do are (1) observe the Sabbath day and (2) honour your parents.
Sadly that’s exactly how many people see the church today as a body that stresses the thou shalt nots - you can’t do this and your can’t do that. We need to start stressing the importance of being obedient to the things that we are told we should do the Thou shalts. When a teacher of the law asked Jesus which was the more important of the commandments He said ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” The second is this: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” There is no commandment greater than these.’
The command was Love - to love God and love one another - the truth is that if you observe the two - to Love God with all your heart mind and soul and love one another then there is no way you could break any of the other commandments. Real love covers a multitude of sins.
That’s why John writes with so much emphasis on the importance of what Love is all about. God is love and as children of God we aught to love one another.
The teachers of the law were heavy handed in emphasising the law but often lacked the compassion and love that were at the very heart of the law.
John wrote to impact the heart of the Christians that why it speaks so forcibly to us today. God loves us so much that He gave His Son to die for our sins. God loves us so much that He wants us to accept the sacrificial love pf Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins and live obedient lives that will fit us to live in heaven with Him one day.
God wants His followers to live such lives of love that will let the world see the benefits of living in obedience to Him.
The gospel and letters of John are full of wise words that emphasise the most important lessons we could learn from being obedient to God. On believers sins If we confess our sins He is faithful to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness 1 John 1; 9On Knowing God The man who says ‘I know Him, but does not do what He commands is a liar 1 John 2;4On Loving Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in darkness 1 John 2; 9For the self professed believers who abandon their faith If they had belonged, they would have remained with us 1 John 2;19The impact of Salvation No one who is born of God will continue to sin because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning 1 John 3;9On the nature of Love This is how we know what love is; Jesus Christ lay down His life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers 1 John 3;16Our assurance of Salvation Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God 1 John 5;1 This is the testimony ; God has given us eternal life and this life is in His Son; He who has the Son has Life; He that does not have the Son of God does not have life Life. 1 John 5; 11,12 And so John wrote Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. John reminds us, This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.I guess we all know what it feels like to love someone. You feel it in your heart - the very part of our being that keeps us alive - without the heart we would die and it’s there, deep within that we feel it - Love in its most pure.
The Bible is the greatest love story ever told - in it we are not only told but shown that God IS LOVE. The Word became flesh in Jesus - He was love revealed - heart felt love.
When I kneel at my bedside every morning, I have a cross and a picture of Beryl. The cross that speaks to me of Gods love that is so real and the picture of Beryl that burns deep into my heart because our love is real. The feeling is indescribable - it’s real love.
Love is Gods gift to you and me; John reminds us that ‘God so, loved the world, you and me, that He gave His only Son that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life’. That’s why John goes on to say Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. He follows this with a strong warning ; . Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
That’s love for one another, love for those out there who don’t as yet know Jesus, love for our families, our friends - love for the outcast, the persecuted, the poor.
Gods love in us. If we don’t have love for one another and that includes the lost and the outcast then John says, we don’t know God.
It saddened me these last few weeks when I’ve put the news on and seen the tragic pictures of the refugees who are desperately trying to find new peaceful homes for their families - many escaping from persecution - all desperately seeking asylum.
And then last week to see the tragic picture of that little three year old boy washed up on a desolate beach - how awful - to hear the bickering of the politicians and leaders of the worlds nations trying forcibly to keep these poor people out using force and completely rejecting them access to freedom.
Sadly this shows the depth to which mankind has sunk in it’s lack of humanity. Mankind has developed into a selfish race where all he can think about is his own well being - so far removed from Gods ideal for His creation where love is the key.
God’s heart must ache to see the lack of response from so called Christian Countries like our own. We are called to love our brothers and sisters and if we don’t then we don’t really know God. I pray that that tragic death of a baby and his brother who died a few days later will prove to be the catalyst that will bring man back to right thinking and begin to show Christian love give these people which is their right as Gods children. That’s what God had to do when He offered His own son to die on a cross to bring man back to his senses.
To bring mankind back to how He intended it to be when He created us John tells usThis is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
If we love one another - God lives in us and His love is made complete in usThis is how we know that we live in Him and He in us.He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. Last week when we read the prayer of Jesus Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made You known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.’ John 17;25
WOW! What a prayer that The love that God had for Jesus and even Jesus Himself would be in us.- Jesus had promised His disciples this earlier John 14;23 If anyone loves Me he will obey my teaching . My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make our home with him’.That’s why John could boldly say in this world we are like Jesus. That’s because to those who love Him and live in obedience to Him - He comes to live in them.WOW! Colossians 1;27 God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Christ in you, the privilage of all believers - that’s Christ, the LOVE of God living in you
And flowing from you. O that we may love lives that show the love of God that loves everyone and is willing to give their all to let that love be seen and shared by everyone. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.We love simply because he first loved us first.
God loves us and wants us to love one another so that the world will see what real love is and sek to know Him for themselves. Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends - are we prepared to go that far?Sunday 30 August 2015This morning I want us to look at two awesome prayers recorded in the Bible.
The first being the prayer of Jesus - The Apostle Johns eyewitness account of the prayers of Jesus at the last supper after He had shared with them that His time had come and He was going to leave them - it was just after Judas had left them to go betray Him -after He had shared the most staggering of news with them.
John is the only Gospel writer to tell us about these prayer, the others share the agonising prayer of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, but John obviously because he was there, is the only one who tells us about this awesome prayer of Jesus.
It comprises three different parts, firstly Jesus prays for Himself, then His disciples and then - those who would come as a result of their faithful witness - that’s us -you and me - WOW! What a privileged people we are - Jesus praying especially for me.
Firstly Jesus prays for Himself;
John 17; 1-5tells us that He looked towards heaven and prayed: ‘Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify You. For You granted Him authority over all people that He might give eternal life to all those You have given Him. Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent. I have brought You glory on earth by finishing the work You gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world began.Mission nearly accomplished He’s nearly completed His mission - He’s shown people what God was really like of wanting His people back and making a way possible through Jesus. now He’s going back to be One with the Father - God incarnate is to be reunited - only the Holy Spirit has His work to start.
Secondly Jesus prays for His disciples - Peter, Andrew; James, John; Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas who betrayed Jesus. ( and is mentioned at the end of the prayer)
John 17:6-19 ‘I have revealed You to those whom You gave Me out of the world. They were Yours; You gave them to Me and they have obeyed Your word. Now they know that everything You have given Me comes from You. For I gave them the words You gave Me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from You, and they believed that You sent Me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those You have given Me, for they are Yours. All I have is Yours, and all You have is Mine. And glory has come to Me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you.

Wow! Jesus knew that as He was leaving them - they were still in this hostile dangerous world and so His prayer is for them to be protected and kept safe by the power of the name of Jesus so that they might be one as Jesus and God are one.Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your name, the name You gave Me, Jesus, -Power in the name of Jesus - so that they may be one as We are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name You gave Me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.‘I am coming to You now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of My joy within them. I have given them Your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth. As you sent Me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify Myself, that they too may be truly sanctified
They were a part of the world until Jesus called them - He didn’t take them physically out of the world but He did take them Spiritually out of the world in a sense that their new, born again selves adopted a lifestyle that was now lived in obedience to the will and purpose of God. Their aim in life was to live in obedience to Him and let their lives be a witness to others that what they had received and enjoyed was available for them too. That Christ came not just for the ‘chosen few’ but for the ‘whosoever’ . God so loved the World - that He gave His only believed Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life‘ John 3;16
Jesus took their minds and attitudes out of the world but sent them back physically into the world to share the good news with everyone else. Jesus said; They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. In the World but not of the World
Lastly-and this is for us all this morning - Jesus prays for all believers - that’s us.
John 17; v20-26 ‘My prayer is not for them ( His disciples) alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as We are one – I in them and You in me – so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.
That’s those who believe through their message - those who were converted in their lifetime and you and I today who have heard the message through the written testimonies of people like Matthew, Peter, James and John - the WORD of God -the Bible -the voices of the disciples still ring on and speak to us today.The final part of His prayer for you and me is awesome; ‘Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made You known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.’
WOW! What a prayer that The love that God had for Jesus and even Jesus Himself would be in us.- Jesus had promised His disciples this earlier John 14;23 If anyone loves Me he will obey my teaching . My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make our home with him’.
Wow- The disciples certainly became witnesses to Jesus but I marvel at the way in which Jesus Himself intervened from Heaven ( Acts 9) and spoke to a man who was zealously seeking to get rid of the witnesses to Jesus - that man was Saul - because of the faithfulness of the disciples in spreading the gospel as Jesus had commanded them - Saul with a vengeance went after the new Christians seeking to get them off the face of the earth as he saw them as being in conflict with His understanding of God.
And so Jesus Himself appeared to Saul on his way to Damascus to get rid of the Christians and Saul was converted and became one of the great early evangelists who had been so challenged by the fact that Jesus had Himself called Him out of the world into a new Christian way began himself to start new churches up and down the country to whom he continued to minister through letters that we can still read today. Ephesians 1;3 One of them was to the church at Ephesus which we read last week where Paul tells them and us how God chose us before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight and predestined us for adoption as His own sons…in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
The prayer of Paul was this - and it’s the essence of the prayer that I pray every morning for every one of you as well as myself as I mention each one of you by name from the front row to the back this is my prayer
18-19 I pray that the eyes of our hearts may be enlightened in order that
1 we may know the hope to which He has called us,Forgiveness now through the precious blood of JesusDeath to the old ways and new resurrected life now
New birth - born again - life in all it’s fullness - now today2 the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, and Inherit the Kingdom of God that begins now and on into eternity with God3 His incomparably great power for us all who believe.The power of the Holy Spirit within you just like Jesus promised -
you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.That poweris the same as the mighty strength he exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under His feet -Jesus -and appointed Him to be Head over everything for the church, which is his body -you and I -, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way. WOW!
And to help us do that He will give us the same mighty power of the indwelling Holy Spirit that came upon Jesus when He was baptised to give strength for the days ahead but also the ability to see the power God manifested through us.
Lets in closing look again at that final prayer of Jesus before He went to the cross.
John 17; v20-26 My prayer is not for them ( His disciples) alone‘I pray also for those who will believe in me through the message, (of my disciples) that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one – I in them and you in me – so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.Those who believe in Him would be;
One in Christ Jesus - together in love, thought and mission Indwelt by God and empowered by the Holy Spirit - One in Him
One with each other completely unitedLiving Witnesses To let the world SEE Christ in us
Then the world will know - through what they see in us - you and me - That Jesus is real - alive - active through His people - still concerned about those who as yet don’t know Him as their Lord and Saviour.
If we respond to the prayer of Jesus and really begin to live as liberated - born again- children of God then the world, our families, our neighbours, our friends - people we come in contact day to day, will know that Jesus is the Christ the Messiah, the chosen one who loves us all and wants them to come to know and love Him and live in obedience to His will.
Can you take it in? - that Jesus - even going through the agony of knowing that the cruel cross lay ahead of Him chose to think about you and me here this morning and pray for us to be set free from sin and be able to live guilt free lives of fullness as a living testimony - knowing that we will one day live with Him in gloryThank You Lord for thinking about me - and each one of us here this morning.
Forgive us for failing you in so many ways and help us to accept what Your Word shows us and begin to live lives that will glorify You and bring others to know You for themselves. We want to be the answer to your prayer
In closing we are going to sing a final prayer - the prayer Paul made to God as outlined in his letter to the church at Philippi
This is the prayer I made my own 44 years ago.
I had a dysfunctional kidney that had started to cause me problems and needed an operation. I had the operation but it didn’t work and I was put on a kidney pump that filtered my kidneys 24 hours a day. Eventually they decided \I needed another operation to try to get my kidneys working again.
It was planned for the following morning - they put the nil orally sign on the bed, a neatly folded operation gown at my bed side and then Beryl came to see me as she did every day - buses - no car and three children at home - Catherine only a few months old. She asked me if I’d prayed about it - I said yes till I’m sick of praying, there’s nobody listening to me.
Life to that point growing up in the SA I thought I was OK and knew God - that was not the case the truth was that all I had was a second hand Christianity and thankfully God wanted me to be reconciled back to Him. Just like He did with the disciples.
That afternoon I had two more visitors - David and Dorothy Murden who laid hands on me and prayed for healing. The next morning I awoke to complete silence - the pump had been turned off - I was told that I didn’t need the operation as unexplainably my kidney had started to work during the night.
Miraculously healed - my prayer when I came out of hospital was ‘I want to know You’ like David and Dorothy know you - I came to the mercy seat every night for a week and on the last night, the presence of God filled this roomm and I knew that the Holy Spirit had come into my life. I danced all the way home.
It was years later after reading my bible that I saw that this was the same prayer that Paul had made as outlined in Philippians 3;7 - it became my prayer
Lets sing that now and if you need to - why not make it your prayer - ask yourself - do I really know Jesus as He wants me to know Him. Jesus prayer that we might come to know Him through the witness of others so that we could then become witnesses ourselves.Song Knowing You Jesus Paul’s prayer Philippians 3;7Sunday 23 August 2015Philippians 4;4-7 ; Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
For me this week has been a very challenging and emotional time - I didn’t want to celebrate my 75th I’d even come to hate my life without Beryl. I wasn’t looking forward to my birthday on Thursday at all but I knew that I would have to go through with it for the sake of my family especially my grandchildren.
As you know, every morning I start the day kneeling in prayer at the side of my bed. This week I prayed that God would keep me strong for the sake of my family and help me to cope with whatever they had planned for my birthday. I also prayed that God would be merciful to Rachel and Carl and make it possible for them to keep Kaden. I prayed that God would do what was the best for Kaden. Two prayers amongst so many others, that lay heavy on my heart.
Thursday came and they asked me where I would like to go for lunch knowing that I enjoyed going to Refresh, the Bolton Villas café - knowing my grandsons would probably want to go to a local restaurant I said ‘anywhere you want’ and to my amazement they insisted on Refresh.
Imagine, Nine of us arriving just ten minutes before they were due to stop making meals - however, they were great and we enjoyed our time together. We then went on to Shibden park and had a walk around the lake and Joel and I went on the peddle boats - it was then that I realised how old I was.
On the way home we had Chicken burger meals in McDonalds because I knew they would enjoy that. We ended up at my house playing games until 2pm. I enjoyed the day. I knew that people would have been praying for me as I had shared some of my feelings with them and Praise the Lord he answered their prayers. We had a good day.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Even though Paul wrote this letter from the confines of a prison cell he encourages his friends to Rejoice in the Lord - he doesn’t just say it once but tells them ’I’ll say it again Rejoice’. Let your gentleness be evident to all - with a gentle reminder that ‘the Lord is near’. WOW we all learn from that couldn’t we? Moan - we moan about lots of things - we let things and people get us down easily. Here is Paul in prison and he’s almost giving inspiration for a song ’Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice.
Don’t be anxious about anything - take it to the Lord in prayer - for the Lord is near - inspiration for another of our well loved songs - What a friend we have in Jesus all our sins and griefs to bear, what a privilage to carry EVERYTHING to God in prayer.
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear - all because we do not carry - everything to God in prayer.
Jesus knew the value of prayer that’s why He taught His disciples to pray - even Jesus had His down times that’s why He prayed at every opportunity. He even prayed when He was facing death - three times He went to pray and on all three occasions asked His father that if it was possible - to remove the cup of suffering -but if not - then -Thy will be done’ - He would know that strength would come just when He needed it.
He went through torment for you and for me hoping that there could be a different way but there wasn’t. The only way that the world at that time understand that their sins could be forgiven was by offering a sacrificial lamb. That’s why God provided the sacrificial lamb in the form of His Son - a once and for all time sacrifice for the sins sof the world.
That’s the way they did it and therefore the only way they would possible understand. We sing don’t we ‘There was no other good enough to pay the price of sin - He Only Jesus - could unlock the gates of Heaven and let us in
There are times in our lives when we fear what we have to go through and we pray about it - and usually that God will remove that difficulty from our lives - but sometimes He doesn’t take it away and we have to go through with it - but not without reason - thanks be to God that He is there with us and gives us the strength to face up to those things we fear and uses them to strengthen and teach us trust in Him.
In no way would I see my fears over Thursday as any way comparable to the problems many of us are called to face - but I thank God that He saw me through that day and that I actually enjoyed myself.
Don’t be anxious about anything but in everything - by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God and the peace of God which is above our understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
There we have it - pray with thanksgiving - that’s a prayer of faith where you know that God will answer your prayer and either remove the obstacle of give you the strength to see it through.
It may be that you are going through a difficult time in your life at the moment, you have some deep concerns for yourself or your family - give them to God and trust Him to bring the answer that will serve to strengthen your resolve in Him.
I started by saying that I prayed about Thursday and also for Rachel, Carl and Kaden
Well, on Friday morning God gave me the best present I could ever hope to have received that week- when Rachel rang me to say that Kaden was officially theirs and that the adoption had been confirmed. Another answer to prayer WOW!
This led me to our second Bible reading - Pauls letter to the church at Ephesus; Ephesians 1;3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will--to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment--to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of His glory.
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession--to the praise of his glory. WOW!In our Bible reading last week, Paul emphasised his sheer Joy in refering to Timothy as his adopted son - he couldn’t stop thanking God for it. In 1 Timothy 1;2 he calls Timothy his ‘true sonin the faith’and in 2 Timothy 1;2 he calls him my ‘dear son’ .
Even Jesus encouraged Mary to take John as her son as they stood at the foot of His cross When Jesus saw His mother there and the disciple whom He loved standing near by, He said to His mother ‘Dear woman here is your son’ and to john, ‘here is your mother’ from that time John took Mary into his home’John 19;26
It was good news on Friday when Kaden was accepted as the officially adopted son of Rachel and Carl -He’s now their own son. It’s not difficult to see the joy and relief in Rachels face - Kaden is now officially her son and she loves him with all her heart.
WOW! Gods word tells us that that’s how He sees us - as His own adopted sons and daughters. I can almost imagine the joy on the face of God as that was His plan even before the creation of the world.4; For he chose us in Him before the creation of the world and look at what His intention was for us He chose us in Him to be holy and blameless in His sight.
That’s not maybe how others see us or even as we see ourselves sometimes, yet that’s His intention that we are called to be Holy - set apart and blameless - in His sight.
In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will In other words we are the adopted Sons of God - children of the Kingdom
And there’s more; 7;In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us
Paul’s then wrote; For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
That’s my prayer every morning for all of you who I mention by name - everyone
I start on the front row and work my way back - every morning - You are mentioned in my prayers by name. I give thanks for you all and ask God to reveal Himself to us all so that we might come to know Him better and His will for us and our Fellowship.
My continued prayer is like Pauls prayer; I pray that the eyes of your heart may
be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in his holy people, and His incomparably great power for us who believe.
That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be Head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way. WOW!
My prayer is that we might be deserving of what He has done for each of us and respond to His Father love by becoming good obedient children of His.
His desire is that would respond to His love and in accepting Jesus as our Lord and Saviour make it our intention to live in obedience to His will. Dissobedience will cost His wayward children so much when God reluctantly has to say ‘depart from Me I never knew you‘. I believe that would hurt the heart of our loving Father whose desire is that we would come to Him and live as His obedient Children.
One of my favourite verses in the bible is 1 Peter 2;9; But you are a chosen people,
a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.Chosen, God’s special possession - called to live the life of an obedient child and become a faithful witness to a loving Father who has shown you His mercy and adopted you as His loving obedient child.
What a privileged people we are to know that Almighty God chose us to be His obedient Children by offering forgiveness for our past , the assurance of His love and constant presence and the joy of knowing that one day, we will live with Him in Glory.
Thank You Father for adopting me, thank You Jesus for paying the price for my sin and waywardness and thank You Holy Spirit for empowering me to live a life that will serve to honour God and bring others into Kingdom life.Sunday 16 August 2015
Last week we read from the Old testament And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it. No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, and those the Lord has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
This prophesy talks of a Highway - road to Heaven that starts here and now and continues into eternity. it’s a highway for the redeemed - those who have responded to the call of God and accepted Jesus as their Saviour and are trying their best to walk in the way that God wants his people to walk. The Highway has a name - it’s the way of holiness.
I said last week that what determines who God chooses to walk on it is the way we live our lives now in response to the word of God- the Way of Holiness demands that we walk in obedience to the Lord and seek to live life in the way that He requires of us. There is no room for;
Those who are disobedient and chose to live life by the worlds standards
Those who have made promises to God that they havn’t kept.
Those who put themselves and their pleasures in life before the things of God.
I don’t know about you but I think about those in MY little world who seem to have little or no regard for the way in which they live their lives in relation to the things of God. Friends, Colleagues even family members - those we love.
It breaks my heart to think of the ones I love missing out on eternity. My first concern of course is that I try to live the life I know God wants me to live so that when I die I go on to live with Him in Glory with the ones I hold dear. - My second concern is that those I love will walk in harmony with God so that one day we will enjoy the presence of God and one another in eternity.
I would imagine that that’s the same for each of us..
What can we do about it - we can’t live other people’s lives for them all we can try to do is be good examples of how Children of the Kingdom should live their lives and let them SEE the difference walking with Jesus makes to ones life.
In other words let some of the things we read about a couple of weeks ago become realities in our own lives.
We also read how Jesus said we are to be the salt of the earth the salt that would tickle the taste buds of our friends and encourage them as scripture says, to ‘taste and SEE that the Lord is Good’.
We read didn’t we how Jesus said that we are the light of the world - Matthew 5; 13-16 and told not to hide that light but let it shine so that others will see the goodness in our lives and praise God for that.
Paul goes so far as to say that ’we are the Temple of the Living God and that the Spirit of God dwells in us. 2 Corinthians 3;16 - he also says that we should be a letter from Christ - 2 Corinthians 3:3 written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. In other words not written with pen and ink - but lived our in our everyday lives - in other words don’t just tell them - Show them like Jesus did. Jesus brought the WORD of God alive by the way in which He lived His life. His attitudes, His responses to the needs of others, His compassion, His love. The truth is We might be the only Bible they ever read.
We are called to be ‘the living body of Christ’ in the world today.
The song ’People need the Lord’ reminds us that ‘We are called to take His light into a world where wrong seems right- what could be too great a cost than giving your lives for one whose lost’. I believe that it starts with our own families, if we can’t get through to them, how can we hope to get through to the world.
Francis of Assisi said, "It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching. Or as a Yorkshire man would say ‘It’s better felt than telt’
If God felt He had to bring the word to life in Christ - and that’s what we are going to look at in our Wednesday night Bible fellowships, then how much more should we desire to let the Word of God live on through us and to our loved ones. I believe that as disciples of His God has given us that responsibility. As I said, We might be the only Bible they ever read.
In most Christian families there are those who don’t quite get the reason why people like you and I have chosen to serve God and live by His principles. There are even those in our families who at one time gave their lives to God and made promises that sadly they have reneged on even gone away from the church and the things they promised God they would hold dear.
I really believe that we have a responsibility and a duty to God to help bring them back onto the right path - and the beast way to do that is to be good examples of what it means to be a Christian.
The Apostle Paul is a great example of one who lived the life of a Christian and in so doing, desired others to do the same. He did this, by being himself, a living example of all that Jesus desires of His followers in this life.
Lets look at what Paul writing to his colleague Timothy says. Timothy who was more like a son to Paul and whom he had appointed to minister in Ephesus so that he could go on to Philippi from where he wrote this first letter to Timothy. The second letter was written from prison in Rome shortly before Paul was martyred.
In his first letter, Paul encourages Timothy to stand up against- and rebuke the false teaching and heresies that were beginning to creep into the church - and to help him do that, Paul’s advice was for Timothy be an example and to live the life of faith.
Paul really thanked God for calling him out of his old way of life. From Saul who zealously set about persecuting the Christians, in his own words he had been a faultless Pharisee to the law, legalistic, he’d even stood by and consented to the stoning of Stephen. But Jesus stopped him on the Damascus road and turned his life around. Listen to what he says;
1 Timothy 1;12-15 ‘ I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst.
V 16 praises God for showing him mercy so that in him, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display His unlimited patience as an example to those who would believe on Him and receive eternal life’. WOW!
Paul knew that he had been called to display the love and devotion of Jesus - he knew he had been called to be a witness - living proof that what God had done in his life - He could do in the lives of others.
Paul became living proof of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul then goes on to instruct Timothy to do the same by praying that we would all live Peaceful lives of Godliness and holiness and be example to those who as yet don’t share our faith because it is Gods will that ‘all men might be saved and come into a knowledge of the truth. In other word - LIVE IT Timothy - let people SEE the good news in your life.
I believe that God is saying that to His people today. I’m amazed every week after I have sought Gods direction in what He wants me to share on Sunday morning to receive confirmation from others that God is saying the same things to them in their churches at the same time.
Last week at café Refresh one of the helpers had her bible open at the verses they had shared that last Sunday morning - it was the same bible reading that we’d had.
Look at this - a picture sent from a face book friend yesterday, after |I had prepared what I was going to say this morning - how amazing to see that it says the same thing that we are sharing this morning. You can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips’ - Hallelujah How important it is that we live the gospel truth.
Paul goes on in his letter as seen in chapter 4 v12-16 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.I believe that for us today we are not just thinking of youth in terms of physical and mental maturity = although that could possible happen with a young Christian trying to share his faith with his mates - but it could also mean spiritual maturity Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young in the faith
We are called, as Paul says, to be a good example in what we say, how we act, in the way we love others, how we live our faith and how we conduct ourselves regarding the promises we have made to God to live clean and upright lives.
Paul intended to come and meet with Timothy and so he wrote Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.
We might not all be called to preach or teach but we are called to get to know His word. For us the public reading of scripture could simply mean Bible Study with others - the sharing together of God’s word. How important that is.
Two of the promises I made when I asked Jesus into my life was that I promised to ‘pray and to read my bible’. I know I’m not the only one here this morning who promised that. Be honest, How many times have you done that this week? Prayer instead of being a meaningful conversation with God, can so often be just a cry to God when we are facing a difficult time or when we want help.
What about Gods word, when was the last time you looked at your bible and read it?
I wonder how many would pass the test if, like the driving test, we were asked to take one before we could be let out on the roadway of life. Today, you have to have read the highway code as in addition to actually driving there’s a written test on the code.
I believe that the reason the JW’s gain more of their converts from church goers is because those who profess to know God don’t know their bibles and so when they are presented with heresies and lies form the JW‘s they fall for them..
If more people who promised to pray and read their bibles did just that, then the church would be a stronger place and the world a better place..
Paul goes on to urge Timothy to Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
Here we have it again - be good servants of the Lord so that others may SEE your spiritual growth. Watch the way you live and make sure you stick to what you believe and have been called to do - the promises you made when you first came to know Christ - it’s important and vital that you persevere in them because if you do you will save both yourself and your hearers.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could get through to our neighbours, our friends and even more importantly to our families the importance of knowing the Lord and living in obedience to His will. The only way is to live it ourselves and let them SEE the power of His word in the way we conduct our lives.
It saddens me when I think of all the people, young and older who have come through our ranks here at Idle yet today they are doing other things. They e no importance in Sunday observance, of coming together with the fellowship and sharing. People who have made promises themselves and yet today disregard them and move away from the things of God.
It saddens me because Gods word tells us that they will miss out on eternity with Him. They might be enjoying life now but they won’t be laughing when Jesus comes or calls.
Gods word this morning reminds us that it is the responsibility of all who love God to show by example the true way to follow God and be obedient to Him. Only by truly living the Christian life can we ever hope to influence our friends, colleagues and loved ones to get their own lives in order and come back to God.
The responsibility is ours - more importantly - you to your family as well as me to mine. You to your neighbours and me to mine.
We are all called to live the truth - to live the word - to be good examples to those who as yet don’t know God truly as He wants them to.
Of course it also depends on how well we know the Lord and how willing we are to practice our faith before men that they might see the benefits of Knowing God themselves and walking in His ways.
Only as I truly know Thee, can I make Thee truly known
Song Lord I pray that I may know TheeSunday 9 August 2015Isaiah 35 The way of Holiness
WOW if ever there’s a walk - I want to be on that’s the one. This prophesy talks of a Highway - road to Heaven that starts here and now and continues into eternity. it’s a highway for the redeemed - those who have responded to the call of God and accepted Jesus as their Saviour and are trying their best to walk in the way that God wants his people to walk. The Highway has a name - it’s the way of holiness.
What determines those who God chooses to walk on it is the way we live our lives now - the way we walk through life. We are called to walk with God.
What a wonderful picture of the joy of restoration as Gods people having been set free from the power and bondage of sin, are now on their way, walking together towards the Fathers heart, returning to their roots, back to their Fathers home. The ransomed, the redeemed, God's chosen, holy people.
This is a victory march the likes of which we have never seen before, the march that started off as a daily walk with Jesus, as peoples from all walks of life and from every continent under the sun congregate together as one people and head for home.
A determined and purposeful walk enhanced with the excitement of walking and talking with our brothers and sisters in Christ where each step is filled with joyful anticipation as we near our destination.
On Wednesday at the Friendship club we talked about walking - how most people have cars today and for whom walking is not as popular as it used to be - if we are going anywhere we just get in the car. I’ve been looking after Bethany’s rabbit whilst the family were away last week and I can hardly believe I’m telling you this, but every time I went round there - just one street away, I went in the car!
It’s just a habit - we do it automatically. We just get in the car wherever we’re going.
Walking - we know it’s good for us - helps to keep you in shape - that’s why I guess I’m the shape I am. I need more exercise - walking.
When I was a lad, cars were a luxury we Idle folk couldn’t afford and so we walked everywhere - Yeadon, Shipley Glen, and as I said, we even had Corps walks and enjoyed them. When you walked around Idle and Thackley you met folk - you got to know the regulars, you talked to people exchanged greetings. Nowadays people don’t even know who there next door neighbour is.
In Bible days people had no option - only the wealthy could afford a camel. You only needed a donkey if you were a tradesman - if you went anywhere - you walked - I would imagine it was a vital part of their social life.
Walking was a way of life - In fact you probably only stayed in if you were too old to get out and about. You met people in the market place, you socialised with others out in the streets. As we know from the many stories in the bible, people congregated to listen to people who were know as speakers, like Jesus - 5000 people at one time - no TV’s no computers, no cars - just people talking, listening, enjoying each others company.
One of the most well known walks in the Bible is the account of the two disciples walking away from Jerusalem after witnessing the cruel death of Jesus on the cross. They were set to walk quite a distance from Jerusalem to Emmaus and what did they do on the way - they talked about the events of the past, probably wondering what the next step in their lives would be now that Jesus wasn’t with them. I love it when we are told that as they walked, a stranger drew near to them and joined in their conversation. The stranger was none other than Jesus although it was kept from them who He really was.
We talk of life as a daily walk - for some that can be a troublesome walk, for those with health problems - a fearful walk, for those who perhaps live alone after loosing their loved ones - a lonesome walk, everybody’s walk in life is different.
Some walk in the wrong company, mum used to say that, ‘mix with the wrong kind of folk and you’ll only end up like them and get into trouble’. Others choose to walk with those who are like themselves. Our daily walk is an important thing - who we choose to walk with and where we choose to head for on our daily walk. That’s why I think it is so important to perhaps stop on lifes journey and just see where we are at. Who we choose to walk with, where we are heading and what is our goal in life.
The truth of the bible is not mans quest to walk with God so much as the fact that God desires to walk with man. It’s all about reconciliation. From the time when God walked with Adam in the garden of Eden to the time God in Christ walked with man by the shores of Galilee.
That’s why we can sing ‘for He walks with me and He talks with me’ with such assurance knowing that if we would only allow ourselves to experience His presence though our daily walk, God will surely draw alongside us and walk with us through our earthly lives.
In the film ‘The Student Prince’ a few new songs were added by a man called Nicholas Brodsky. ‘When It’s summertime in Heidelberg’ was one, another was 'I'll walk with God'.
I remember Russsell Watson appearing on Songs of Praise a couple of years ago singing the song after first telling us about where he was on his own daily walk in life.
In 2006 he was taken hospital after it was discovered he had tumours on his brain and endured a gruelling seven hour operation to save his life. He was then given the devastating news that he would never sing again. The tumours were removed and for a few years found it difficult to continue on his daily walk which was as a classical singer.
It was during this time of anguish and uncertainty that he turned to God and shared how he felt that God had helped him through this difficult time. He choose to halt in his daily walk and begin to walk with God and found help, solace and peace as he walked. The result was that his voice was restored to it’s former glory and here he was singing to the world his new journey - his face glowed as he said ‘now I’m walking with God’
Russell speaking to the press last year said "I think that when you're faced with real adversity there are two ways you can go. You can either think, 'why me', and turn away from God, or you can actually enhance your life by thinking 'this is happening to me...please help me? I believe in God totally, how could I not after all I’ve been through’ He also revealed that 'How Great Thou Art' was his favourite hymn but that he had always liked Mario Lanza's version of 'I'll Walk with God'.
Our bible reading talks about Gods redeemed people walking along lifes pathway it’s also is a prophetic account of what it will be like when Jesus comes again for those who have walked faithfully throughout their daily lives in the way God called them to walk. It points to the fact that God has prepared a pathway for the ransomed of the Lord to walk on called the way of Holiness and leads to Heaven.
This is a highway that begins here on earth and continues on into eternity and to get onto that highway is determined by how we desire to live our lives here on earth now.
It’s all about how we walk through life - who we chose to walk with and how faithfully we walk in His ways. It’s up to us - God’s done all He needed to do when He sent Jesus to show us the way. Jesus who Himself walked the walk is an example to us today. Be faithful in your daily walk and the joys of the ransomed will be ours.
If we want to be on that Highway that leads to the promised land then we have to do what God says and walk step by step with our Lord faithfully through our daily life.
Gods desire it that His people - you and I - should walk through life with Him as our guide and companion. That our daily life should follow the pattern set by Jesus when He walked on earth.
When you walk with someone you’re close. You talk, you laugh, you listen, and share your hearts desires. Your attention is focused on this person. You notice the beauty around you and point it out to your companion. You share it together. You are in harmony, and you both enjoy the walk.
Walking with God is like that. Knowing Him, hearing His voice, sharing our heart with Him, and seeking to please Him become our all-consuming focus. He becomes everything to us. Meeting with Him is not an activity reserved just for Sunday mornings. We are called to live in union and fellowship with Him.
It is not difficult to identify people who walk with God. Their lives are a stark contrast to the world around them. As we said last week, they are the salt of the earth, light in the darkness of the world, the aroma of Christ, a letter from God - they are the body of Christ in a sinful world.
Remember how Peter and John after being arrested for preaching were brought before the authorities. "The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus." When we walk with God every day, the world cannot help but recognize that, in spite of our imperfections and lack of knowledge in some areas, we have been with JesusIn John 10:27 we read that Jesus said ‘My sheep listen to my voice, I know them, and they follow me‘. That’s the word of the Good Shepherd who loves His sheep.
1 John 2:5-6 This is how we know that we are in Him: whoever claims to live in Him ought to walk as Jesus did. On Wednesday in our Bible fellowship we will be looking at the life of Jesus and how He showed mankind the way we should live our lives.
To walk through life the Jesus way. What is your journey like ?
Walking the Jesus way means that we adopt the lifestyle and attitudes of our Saviour. Being loving, kind, considerate, humble are the basics. Seeking to please Him by desiring to know Him more from His word, eager to meet Him in Worship, to speak to Him in prayer. Desiring to give Him the best part of our lives, out time, our energy Being set apart and avoiding the temptations of the world.
Make no mistake, the Bible clearly say's; But only the redeemed will walk there, and only the ransomed of the LORD will return. Only those who have given their lives to Him and live lives that proof it will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
I particularly love the part that says ‘Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.
WOW! that’s conformation of the hope that people like Peter Jackson, Marilyn Baker, Gordon Mote have - all of them blind but they know that when Jesus comes again they will SEE the Lord.
The ears of the deaf - people like Marilyn Bakers helper, Tracy Williamson who is totally deaf - she will hear the voice of Jesus and her loved ones.
Nick Vujicic the young man without arms or legs - will have arms and legs and be able to leap like the deer and dance for joy before the Lord.
David Ring too who has difficulty talking and being understood will be given a glorious voice with which to Praise the Lord.
Even my lovely wife Beryl, bless her, who’s brain was destroyed by Alzheimers making it impossible to walk or talk will be able to express her joy and be normal again. No more confusion - no more the inability to perform the daily tasks that you and I take for granted - no more being pushed around in a wheel chair but walking unaided on the highway of Holiness - the Highway of Wholeness - I can’t wait!
But to be there - and with our loved ones, those who have gone on before us is totally dependant on how we walk through life now. To get on that Highway the Way of Holiness demands that we, like them, walk in obedience to the Lord and seek to live life in the way that He requires of us. There is no room for;
Those who are disobedient and chose to live life by the worlds standards
Those who have made promises to God that they havn’t kept.
Those who put themselves and their pleasures in life before the things of God.
The bible clearly states that The Way of Holiness; is for those who walk His Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it. No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, and those the Lord has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
It’s dependant on how faithful we are to Gods calling. The good news for those who have already decided to walk in His ways and live according to His demands is that He has promised never to leave us or forsake us. He has promised to journey with us- and for whatever we are called to walk through in life He will always be there right beside us. We are called to journey together with the Lord. To walk with God.
He will be true to His promise - how true have we been to our end of the bargain.
We sang ‘by the pathway of Duty flows the river of Gods Grace’ and it does - if only we turn to Him and live true to the promises we made to pray, to read our bibles- to love God and one another.
Make no mistake when we commit to Him He will make a way through any difficult situation we might be called to face in life and will see us through to walk on the Highway of Holiness. And that path to that highway is open to us now. If you feel you’ve failed Him in any way - come back to Him today.
We closed with meeting with the song ‘God will make a way’Sunday 2 August 2015 Matthew 5; 13-16
Last week we read Johns Gospel and his first letter and both of them were almost identical - The Word- Jesus became flesh and lived amongst us and We are witnesses of that because we saw, heard, lived with for three years and touched Jesus.
John goes on to tell us that Jesus was the light that came into the darkness of this world and he goes on to make every effort to encourage the readers to stop living the worlds way and instead to live by the words way. As I said a few weeks ago, sadly following the fall, sin entered the world - Take the ‘L‘ ( satans domain) out of the world and what you are left with is the Word ( Jesus).
God loves us so much that He gave Jesus His Son to die upon the cross to pay the price of our sins once and for all. The only way that people in that day would ever believe that they had been forgiven of their sins was to offer a sacrificial lamb or dove - and so Jesus became the once and for all time sacrificial lamb.
What a privilage it is to be in the presence of Jesus this morning.
Lets look at how Jesus sees His followers - you and I - this morning.Matthew 5; 13-16 ‘You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
‘You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. How many times did we used to hear that expression - They’re the salt of the earth’ Ever said it about anyone? Salt seems to have lost it’s popularity these days - we are told that too much salt is not good for you.
I love salt, my dinners wouldn’t taste the same without a pinch of salt. Salt brings out the flavour by sensitising the taste buds. I’ve got salt in my cupboard that on the label tell me that it is over 200million years old - believe me it’s not lost it’s saltiness.
If it did I guess I would use it to melt the snow in winter- and just like Jesus is saying here - it’s only use is to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
I guess it’s the same with Christians - if we loose our edge - our purpose and mission in life - if we loose our first love, the desire we had when we first came to Christ which was to get to know Him more and try to live lives that would let others see the difference He has made in our lives and share the light we have received with them, then we have lost our saltiness, the vital part of us that is able to tickle the taste buds of others and made the ‘food’, the word of God, more palatable.
Jesus then added, "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.When it’s dark and you look across the valley towards a town or village - you can see it because of the brightness of the street lights and the lights of the houses. It can’t be hidden unless you turn the lights off like we did in the blackouts during the war so that the enemy wouldn’t know where the cities were.
We’ve just had a new street light put up by the council outside our house and it’s so bright that at lights up the whole of my garden. I’m not complaining because it will certainly put any would be burglars off. Jesus said that You and I are the light of the world. WOW! We sing that song ‘As we gaze on Your Kingly brightness, so our faces display Your likeness, Shine on me Lord, Shine on me. We are called to reflect the light of Jesus into the darkness of mans understanding - I wonder if we do.
I would suggest that many who go to church this morning all around the village, this city, this country will sing the songs, read the word of God and then sadly go home and continue living lives that do anything but glorify God.
If what Jesus said is true when He said- ‘Where two or three are gathered in My name there I am in the midst of them’ and I know it is true - then how can those who profess to know Him not reflect the light that He brings into our worship and our lives? Yet that’s probably one of the main reasons the church is in decline in this country.
We live in a dark world that needs to see the light of God - Jesus said that that’s our responsibility as His followers - He’s made it possible - Gods people need to take the shades off or as we read from Gods word last week - wake up!We are the salt and the light of the world - the salt to tickle the taste buds of those we meet in our daily living to want to ‘taste and see for themselves that the Lord is good’ Psalm 34;8 and the light that shines brightly in the world today so that others may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven. That’s not to glorify you and me but to glorify Him.
What good we do is evidence of the power of God within us and the praise and Glory go to Him - all we are is the vehicle, the channel through whom He shows His power.
What a privilage and a responsibility God places on His followers when He declares us the salt and light of the world.
Paul expounded it further when he wrote his letter to the Church at Corinth.You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 2 Corinthians 3;3
WOW! A letter from Christ - not a written letter but a lived out story that tells others what God can and is doing in our lives by the power of His indwelling Spirit He can do in their lives too. The Word - the written word of God made flesh in you and I.
If you ask anyone what they know about classic books like The great Gatsby, Pride and Predjudice, Great Expectations or Oliver Twist they would probably be able to tell you all about them - not because they had read the books but because someone had made it in to a film. They hadn’t read it, they’d seen it portrayed on film by real people.
It’s so often the same with the word of God, because people today don’t take time to read the Bible they need to see it lived out in people like you and me.
You’ve read the book - now let God make what used to be the worlds best seller into - action in our lives. Just as the Word became flesh in Christ, so too the Word, Jesus, needs to become flesh in us.
In 2 Corinthians 2:14 Paul went even further when he wrote; thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?
WOW! Your not just the salt of the earth, the light that penetrates mans darkness, or even the letter from Christ - you are the aroma of Christ.
People spend a fortune these days to ‘smell nice’ Perfumes for women, After shaves for men. Even cleaning products for the home have an added fragrance.
My mum used to know when I had travelled upstairs in the bus home from school because you could smell the tobacco that others were smoking clinging to my school uniform.
I’ve told you before about the way in which when I had lunch at my first work place, Harry B Berry’s in Windhill Old Road you could always tell what day it was by the aroma in the works at lunchtime. Just next to our factory was John Smiths Jam works and as some of the workers were friends with some of our staff they came in at dinner time to sit at our tables and eat their sandwiches with their friends.
That was great when the people from John Smiths came in - you could smell the Strawberry Jam on Tuesdays and the plum jam on Fridays. The trouble was when friends from the other factory at the end of the road came in. It was a factory that manufactured Toilet Deoderisers - and my - did they smell - it was awful.
Remember when Peter and John were hauled before the Sanhedrin after healing the cripple - we are told that they could tell that they had been with Jesus. I guess that was the aroma of Christ.
Paul says that you an I are the aroma of Christ wouldn’t it be great if, when we go home after sharing fellowship with one another and more importantly with Jesus, people outside could sense that we have been with Jesus - that the aroma of Christ. Would cling from us.
Finally - and this says it all Paul writing to the church at Corinth says that collectively you and I are the body of Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:27)
That’s what Church should be - it’s not just a building it’s the living body of Christ in the world today. ‘Living stones’ Peter calls us. As you come to Him, the living Stone, rejected by men but chosen by God - you also, like living stones are being built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2; 4
We are being built into a spiritual house - a Temple, a Church, where God dwells by His Spirit. That’s not a building made of stone but a you and I are Gods living church in whom Jesus lives. Gods bigger plan was that you and I would be living Temples indwelt by Jesus so that His presence within us would be felt and shared by people out there. What a privilage and what a responsibility.
We have a lot to live up to - it’s not just enough to Talk the Talk, God wants us to Walk the Walk. There might be just a few of us here this morning but together we could make such a difference in the world today, in this fellowship, in this community.
People out there need the Lord and it’s our privilage and responsibility to seek to know the infilling of God by the power of the Holy Spirit and let people see Christ in us.
We have shared the promise that He is here with us this morning - lets take Him out into our world and let others SEE the power of God in our lives.
I hope that we have been challenged by the word of God that tells us how God wants us to act - in the world and in this fellowship today and in the days to come.
He wants us to Worship Him in the beauty of Holiness - the beauty of Holy Lives.
It’s up to usSunday 26 July 2015 John 1-14
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truthI love this letter from John. He knew what he was talking about - he knew Jesus first hand - he’d been called by Jesus from his job as a humble fisherman to live alongside Jesus - to get to know Jesus and not just about Him.
In real life - we love everyone - but we do have special friends that we can confide in and be ourselves with - and to John, Jesus was just that. When writing about the life that he and the other disciples spent with Jesus he would refer to them by name but himself as ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved’ John 21;7 John felt especially close to the heart of Jesus. ‘What a friend we have in Jesus’
As we know, John was the brother of James and both were sons of Zebedee. They were fishermen who were called from their daily lives to become followers of Jesus - His disciples. Men with a mission - men with a purpose in life.
John takes us right back to the beginning of time when he reveal’s in that epic statement that ‘In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word WAS GOD. God incarnate in Jesus created the World we live in and created LIFE - the Light of the World.
As we know, Mankind in Adam fell from grace and disobeyed God causing sin to come into the world - All through the Old testament we have revelations of God given through the prophets aimed at getting man back in track with God but foolishly were being ignored by - God had to do something about that to bring His creation back to order and so He sent His son Jesus into the world to show us what He, God, was really like and to reclaim His creation. Man needed to SEE the truth lived out before them - so as John points out ‘The WORD became flesh in Jesus.
Put simply, Jesus came to bring the word of God alive - to let the world SEE the power of God and His intention for fallen man to come back to the heart of the Father. John is so with it when he declares that Jesus the word became flesh- Jesus, his Lord - is Gods answer to the dillema of mankind
John tells how John the Baptist came to point out that Jesus - THE WORD who was in creation came to earth again to become Saviour of fallen man. V 18 is a gem - The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. When I worked at Harry B Berry’s as an apprentice - I couldn’t understand what they called theory - just pictures in a book - I needed to see the machines. A wise old man drew me to his side and said ‘come ‘er lad - I’ll show thi’. That’s exactly what God did in Christ.
John speaks from personal experience having lived with the living WORD Jesus - he and the other disciples had first hand - experienced the Glory of the One and Only who came from the Father - full of Grace and truth. The law came through Moses but Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.No one has ever seen God but the closest you will ever get to that is to see and know Jesus who has made the Father known. WOW!. John certainly knew the truth.
The gospel according to John which was the last Gospel written is so in tune with his first epistle written around 2 years later. The Word of Life 1 John 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched – this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. You can almost feel the excitement and the passion in Johns exclamation of the fact He had been with, seen , heard, touched the Messiah - Jesus - God incarnate and he’s going to make sure everyone knows itWe proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word is not in us.
Quite strong; John writes the epistle more as a sermon designed to encourage people the see the truth in Jesus and warn them against sinfulness. He wants to encourage Gods people to walk in the ways of Jesus and so live lives that will please Him.
A couple of weeks ago we read Paul’s letter to the Church at Ephesus where he told them to find out what pleases the Lord and try to live accordingly. Last week we read Pauls letter to the church at Thessalonica where he again encourages them to live lives of love for God and one another.
Here John is again encouraging his hearers to live sinless lives - and reminds them that if they do fall by the wayside that v5 Jesus loves them so much that He has paved the way back for to the heart of the Father .
Chapter 2 v 1 says that we have one who speaks to the Father in our defence - Jesus the Righteous One.V 3 We know we have come to know Him if we obey His commands - but if the life we live doesn’t measure up to what we say then we are lying to God and to our fellow men - but if we live in obedience to His word then God’s love is made complete in us. 6 Whoever claims to live in Him MUST walk as Jesus did.Put simply - It’s not enough just to TALK the TALK we have to WALK the WALK.
This letter speaks to Gods Church today and to us as individuals. The advise is to be honest with ourselves. If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth -
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us
If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word is not in us.
We are all sinners ‘Saved by Grace’ and the good news is that as John statesif we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
V 12 I write to you dear children because your sins have been forgiven on account of His nameThe Awesome truth is that God loves us all and wants us to know that. He came in Jesus to die for our sins and open the door to His new Kingdom and that by confessing our sins to Him and seeking to know Him and live our daily lives to please Him that we will one day move on to live with Him in the new heavenly Kingdom.
To know and experience the abiding presence of God with us throughout every area and aspect of our lives.
Abundant life now and eternal life to come. Joy unspeakable now and forever.
That’s why the evil one feels threatened and will do everything in his power to not only deceive the man in the world to living selfish self seeking lives but also get people who have accepted Jesus as their Saviour off the highway to holiness and onto the pathway to destruction.
That’s why John says in v 15 Don’t love the wrong things of the world, sin, lust, pride, selfishness, greed for the world and its desires will pass away whilst the man of God will live forever.
It’s so easy in these days to neglect the word of God when folk don’t spend time even reading it. It’s so easy to feel out of touch with God if you don’t discip-line your time to spend quality time in prayer with Him.
On Wednesday night we I said how sad it is that in an age where, because of technology and smaller working hours folk have more leisure time than their parents had and still not enough time for the things of God
We have cars, where our parents either walked or caught the tram. We have TV so we don’t tend to spent time getting ready and travelling to the cinema or the theatre.
We have phones - mobiles even, shops that open 24/7 - washing machines that do the laundry - drip dry clothes that don’t need ironing - more time on our hands but how much time do we spend reading Gods word or praying?
Man has more spare time yet chooses to fill that time with other things, sport, entertainment, socialising -non of which is bad unless we put them first before God.
Last week we ended with a ‘wake up call’ and that’s what I believe Paul and the other writers of the New Testament letters are doing. Reminding us of the privilage that we have in knowing that God loves us so much that He was willing to even come down to our World and show us how to live our lives in preparation for Kingdom life. He loves us so much that He was willing to send His Son to purchase our forgiveness.
The rest of the letters point to the attitudes that we as Gods people should have towards Him and one another that will encourage those who as yet don’t acknowledge Him as Lord will want to do so. Our lives become the advert. The way we act and live our lives can in themselves become the adverts in the game of life that others will find appealing and want for themselves.
5 This is how we know we are in Him - Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.
Ch 4;7 Dear friends let us love one another, for love comes from God and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God 10 This is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent Jesus as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also, aught to love one another. No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.
The devil doesn’t want us to believe that and will do everything in his power to persuade you that you are not saved - he’ll put doubts in you that if you are not careful will pull you down.
If a person hasn’t repented their old ways then the advice is to do it today - be forgiven and know in your heart that you have been forgiven. - the next step is to seek to get to know Him by reading His word, praying, talking to other Christians, build each other up and start to live the life that Jesus died so that you could. Let the WORD Jesus become FLESH in you and start to enjoy the benefits that knowing Christ brings.

Sunday 19 July 2015 Bible 1 Thessalonians 4; 9-12 and 5;12-28 Living to please God
Paul writes to the church at Thessalonica reminding them how when he was with them he had instructed them how to live in order to please God, and commends them for doing so. He then urges them, in the name of the Lord Jesus, to do this more and more. He emphasises that what he had taught them was under the clear authority of God. I would go even further than Paul to say that through His Son Jesus God did more than just tell them how to live good lives but showed them by the life He Himself lived - how to live lives that were pleasing to Himself.
You only have to look at the life that Jesus lived to see a perfect example of what God desires of each one of us. Jesus was patient, kind, just, caring and loving. He faced the difficulties of life with a determination not to give in. He disciplined Himself to pray in every situation - He didn’t come to condemn but show understanding and forgiveness - even when His own friends let Him down when He needed them most.
That’s why Paul told the Ephesians to be imitators of Jesus - who lived a life of love.
That’s why Paul urges the Thessalonians to spend their time Living to please God - That was Paul’s priority in life - I hope that’s what we want to do.
We read last week how Paul writing to the church at Ephesus wrote ‘find out what pleases the Lord’ Ephesians 5;10. One of the easiest ways to find out what pleases our Lord is to discipline ourselves to read His word and seek His will in prayer.
I guess that would please Him straight away - I wonder if we do
Paul then says that It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: (set apart- holy- purified - free from sin) Sanctified - We read last week didn’t we how Paul says ‘be careful how you live, not as unwise but wise making the most of every opportunity because we live in evil days - don’t be foolish but rather understand what the Lords will is - in other words, don’t get mixed up in the foolish ways of the world but rather wake up to what He desires you to be in the world - a shining light - a ray of hope a beacon of light to others.For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life - anyone who rejects this instruction is rejecting the very God who gave you his Holy Spirit.
Paul then turns his attention to the very basis of our Christian Faith - LOVE the key that unlocks every heart and opens doors that would otherwise be firmly closed.
Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more,
Here Paul reminds them that this is the very thing that Jesus taught when He said
the greatest commandments are that you should love the Lord your God with all your heart mind and soul and love your neighbour as yourself. Love one another that way others around you will see that and respond to it in other words - Love won another.I love this next phrase -make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: mind your own business and work with your hands, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
My mum used to say the same things ‘anything for a quiet life’ - if you want to get on in life, then learn to mind your own business, just get on with your work - and people will have nothing but respect for you Final instructions; 5;12 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.
Respect the leadership - please! It’s not easy these days to please everyone - these last few years have not been easy for me loosing Kevin then Beryl. I have tried to seek to share what I feel God has been telling me to share for the last year or so which has not been to everyone’s liking. I have been heartened by the response of those of you who have confirmed some of the things I’ve shared and that has been encouraging - but I must say that the very things that some find unpalatable are the very things that come across in this letter to the Thessalonians when it comes to how we conduct our lives as followers of His and about the fact that I believe God is urging us to be alert to what is happenning in the world today especially in what the Bible calls the end times.
Chapter 4;13- 5;11 is a wake up call to make sure that we remain faithful and claim the blessings of those who live a Christlike life and so ensure their future place in Heaven. 11 So encourage and build one another up
Paul lists some of the things that as Christians we need to make sure we try and do.13 Live in Peace with one another O dear, there are some in church find that difficult and sadly it shows - to encourage others to strive for Peace demands that we live that way too.
14 Warning against Idleness - we had a laugh about that last week when we looked at the last chapter of Pauls letter to the Thessalonians v 6 where he comments ‘In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you brothers to keep away from every brother who is Idle and does not live to the teachings. Then in verse 11; We hear that some among you are Idle - they are not busy but rather busy bodies’ Thankfully he’s not talking about us from Idle but those who are Idle and not pulling their weight in the Church - as Christians we are all in this together - it takes a team effort to live the life and win others for Christ.That’s why we need to Encourage the timid not everyone is naturally bold and strong - we need to give them all the encouragement we can and Help the weak let them see how much we value them and how important they are to God - exercise patience. Not responding in an un Christ like manner to those who wrong us but be kind to everyone
16 Be joyful always Not always easy - yet the chorus we sing the Joy of the Lord is my strength is so true - there’s nothing more off putting that walking around with a face as long as a fiddle - if the world sees us like that then that’s not a good advert
17 Pray continually In every situation Prayer is the Christians vital breath - staying in touch with the Almighty is the only way to live a successful and fulfilling life. If Jesus needed to do that then more so me and you.
18 Give thanks in all circumstances I love the Chorus ‘Give thanks with a grateful heart’ especially after seeing a group of ex drug addicts sing it at one of Jackie Pullingers meetings. You could see the joy on their faces at being set free by Jesus from a lifetime of addiction. Acknowledge the transforming power of God in your life. Looking back on my life I can even give thanks to God for some of the more difficult dark times I had to go through because looking back I can see that it was in such situations and at such times, God showed me how precious I am to Him by teaching me great lessons and bringing me closer to Him. The Psalmist cried, ' Why are you downcast, O my soul, why so disturbed within me, put your hope in God, for I will praise Him, my Saviour and my God' (Psalm 42; 5)19 Don’t put out the Spirits power We live in a very cagey world where people are not very open to Spiritual things yet God is still the same and I believe still seeks people through whom He can show His mighty power and so increase mans faith.
20 Don’t treat Prophesy with contempt There’s a difficult one - so often the prophesies given in the past have been shunned upon by a disbelieving world. Some today don’t like the prophesies about the end times that we are certainly living in maybe because they know that their lives need to change if they hope to be amongst those who will escape the wrath of God and move forward into the new Kingdom that God has prepared for those who love Him and are faithfully trying to live lives that are worthy of Him.21 Test everything - give it a go - live according to the desires of God and see how blessed your life can become. Psalm 34;8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!Hold on to what is good In my youth we referred to the bible as the good book - hold onto it - - today there is a strong emphasis on changing what the Word says to make it more acceptable to a disbelieving generation. How foolish - Hold on to what is good and Avoid every kind of evil.All good sound advice - a sure and safe path for Gods people to walk in that will bring fulfilment in their own lives and encourage people they mix with through the week to seek after the same ideals and make Jesus their Saviour.And so Paul ends with a prayer 23 May our God of Peace Sanctify you through and through - may your Spirit soul and body be kept blameless There we have it again Sanctified through and through. Set apart, Holy, committed, purified and free from sin. Keep your Spirit, soul and body blameless
Sounds a formidable task for us all but remember we are not alone, we are not expected to do it in our own strength - Christ in you will make the differencv 24 reminds us that The One who called you is faithful and will do it.
It’s all about how we relate to God and to one another

Respect one anotherEncourage one anotherLove one anotherAccept one another and Gods WordTrust one another and Gods WordEnjoy your relationship with God and one anotherMaybe there are those here this morning who feel that in some way you fall short of the demands of God. You have not trusted Him as you should, you feel that you have failed Him, and as a consequence, others around have witnessed failure, why not ask Him to forgive you. to help you in the days that lie ahead to get the victory.
Perhaps there are those here, who haven't yet asked Jesus to come into your life, and so don't have any claims on God. Don't waste valuable time, life's too short. I pray that we will all leave this place this morning with the assurance that we know Jesus, have experienced His forgiveness, have claimed His indwelling presence, and are living in His victory.Sunday 12 July 20151 Thessalonians 1;
I said last week how we all like receiving letters from friends. Paul wrote some beauties. Always to the point, some encouraging, some chastising but all inspired by God and His love for the people Paul wrote to.
It has been said that the Bible is Gods letter to us all. I believe that -and following on from Easter and then Pentecost, I believe that God has been encouraging us to look at the way the early church progressed. We saw Peters boldness in preaching a gospel of truth that hit hard at those who were playing at it. He preached at Pentecost a hard hitting message of truth that hit home hard at the Teachers of the law and the leaders in the church that resulted in 3000 people accepting Salvation and being filled with the Spirit. No soft approach - tell it like it is!
Following the healing of the lame man a few days later, Peter again faced the opposition - didn’t soft soap the message and another 2000 came to Christ. The authorities were helpless because the people had seen the healing power of God before their eyes. They could only warn them to stop preaching Jesus - they went back to the fellowship and prayed for more boldness and got it as God shook the building to the core.
We have marvelled at the way God called Saul himself out of his old religious way of life and into the freedom of the gospel of Jesus. Saul was confronted by Jesus and saw the light. After spending many months seeking to know the truth by talking to people who had been with Jesus - he started to take that truth to the non-Jews, the Gentiles with such good effect that he started to plant churches up and down the country and many came to Christ and were filled with the Spirit.
Last week we read Pauls letter to the Ephesians 5;1-13 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: People who act in that way will, have no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God - Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.
Last Sunday night and all day Monday I started to download the messages given at Boundless days earlier. Imagine my amazement when on the Youth Night ( Boundless 6) the Salvation Army officer used the same themes and said the same things that I had felt led to share in last Sunday mornings message. He talked of the terrible dark world and the need for us to shine for Jesus. Arise, shine for your light has come - look to Him and be radiant.
He refered to the fact that Jesus had told His listenners that they themselves had become the light of the world. That’s exactly what we had read when Paul referring to the church at Ephesus said once you were in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.
The Officer at Boundless then told the congregation to turn to one another and say Arise, Shine in other words You’re the light of the world. Live as children of light
Lets do it now - tell the person next to you Look to Him and be radiant
Pauls advice had been Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. I wonder what kind of week you’ve had following our meeting last week did anything that was said impact on your life and make you think differently. If it didn’t then either you are a better person than I am or you wasted your time coming.
We come together week after week to meet in fellowship with one another and to worship God. We also come to hear His word - not the gospel of Billy Cowgill but the words of God for today - for me and you - for this Corps..
Over the last few months God has confirmed to me in many ways that in seeking Him every morning and asking Him to show me what He wanted to say in the meetings - that He is speaking to us - today - to bring our fellowship closer to Him and one another as we examine our own hearts to see what steps we need to grow spiritually and then be able to share His light with others and thereby grow our fellowship.
God wants a people who are eagerly seeking to know Him more and more. A people who desire to be filled with Jesus and empowered by His holy Spirit to become more like Him. He doesn’t just want us to be mere imitators of Him but living beings filled with His spirit through whom He can live and minister to the world out there.
I said last week that a text that impressed on my life from youth is the one that in my youth was emblazoned on the wall behind me but down through the years since has been burried underneath many coats of paint. ‘Worship the Lord in the beauty of Holiness’ in other words, Worship Him in the way in which you live your lives - Churches are full of people who sing the hymns with gusto, some even raise their hands in praise in Sunday worship - but then go out into the world and live as if God’s just for Sundays.
Paul says to the Ephesian church, if you really want to please God, then ''Be imitators of God. There is no place in the Kingdom of God for anyone who 'imitates' the world. What Paul is saying here is don't be deceived by what you see and hear going on out there, and don't become a part of it, instead, set your eyes on Jesus. God's wrath will come upon those who are foolish enough to fall temptation to the world with it's foolishness and greed. For the Christian, that may have been in the darkness of your past but now you are 'light in the Lord'. You haven't just received the light, Jesus tells us that YOU and Me ARE the light . Therefore live as children of light, and find out what pleases the Lord.
Lets remind ourselves of what Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica, he said this; 2 We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that He has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Acha.Lets hear that again in relation to our own Corps here at Idle. You are loved by God - he has chosen you. The gospel comes to you not simply with words, but also with power. Gods power manifest amongst us. Remember the healing of Christopher, Adam, the money for the chairs, Community hall the roof repairs? The gospel came alive with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction
Paul had shared some time on his travels with the people at Thessalonica and then had to leave them. He left Timothy to continue the work he had begun. It was when Timothy went back to visit Paul that Paul heard the good news that his ministry was bearing fruit and that his prayers were working. V 6 of chapter 3 Paul says this ’ Timothy has just now come back to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love’. Wow that would be really encouraging to Paul to know that his ministry was bearing fruit and that the Thessalonians were being imitators of God and finding out what pleases the Lord.
You only have to look at Pauls second letter to the Thessalonians to see how their faith is growing and the love they have for each other is increasing. Pauls prayer was that the outside world would be able to see what they had and be encouraged to seek it for themselves. Ch 2;15 Therefore stand firm, hold to the teachings.
And the final word from Paul to the Ephesians chapter 5; 15 21 'Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs - let your conversation find favour in Gods word, in other words - let your life be as expressive as your worship - Worship the Lord in the beauty of Holiness (Holy Living) Let the joy that you have in the Lord be expressed and seen in your life no matter what your situation or circumstance. Receive Jesus, receive the light and go out there and shine for Him.
The word of God is being preached right now in hundreds of churches up and down this country of ours. Some who listen will have already accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour and desire in their lives to honour Him by living a life that will please Him by mirroring the life of Jesus. Reading letters like the ones that Paul sent to the early churches will be encouraging to them and spur them onto be more vigilant in the way they conduct themselves through the week.
There will be others who, like me in my early thirties, who as they listen to the word realise they have been deluded themselves into thinking they are living lives that please God and need to ask God to forgive them and make Himself known to them.
In the first of Pauls letters to Timothy ch 2; 4 he urges that as Christians we should strive to live peaceful quiet lives in all Godliness and Holiness as this is what pleases God our Saviour who wants all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.
There will be those up and down the country who as yet don’t know the Lord as He want them to know Him. People who as yet are unsaved as they have not committed their lives to God.
The thrust of Pauls letters are to commend and encourage those who call themselves Christians to live lives that are worthy of bearing Christs name - lives that will in themselves encourage and inspire folk that we mix with during the week who as yet don’t know Him to get to know Him and accept Him as their Saviour.
I mentioned last week some of the programmes I used to listen to on the radio as a lad. One of them was In Town Tonight which started with the loud buzz of hurried traffic in Picadilly Circle. A real hub of noise until a lone voice shouted ’STOP’ and there was a deathly silence. Maybe God is saying that to someone here this morning - Stop - Be still and know that I am God - and then Go and let others know.
When Frank and Jean went to Boundless, they told me that they had had some strange looks and comments when they told others that they were members of the Idle Salvation Army. Hopefully we are Idle by name but not by nature.
It made me smile when I looked at the last chapter of Pauls letter to the Thessalonians v 6 where he comments ‘In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you brothers to keep away from every brother who is Idle and does not live to the teachings. Then in verse 11; We hear that some among you are Idle - they are not busy but rather busy bodies’ Thankfully he’s not talking about us from Idle but those who are not living the life - they need the wake up call.
I mentioned earlier some radio programmes I used to listen to as a young lad. Another programme was the Billy Cotton show who’s catch phrase at the begining of every programme was ‘Wakey, Wakey'That’s the advice Paul gave to the church at Ephesus "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."
Maybe it’s time Gods people to wake up to the awesome message of God that because He loves us and because He cares - He was willing to come to earth and become the ultimate sacrifice - the once and for all sacrifice for the worlds sin. As the billboards of the early Salvationists suggest, The wages of sin is death but by accepting Jesus and His sacrifice we have the promise of new life - now and in eternity. As Gods people we need to remember that and live lives that will please Him and encourage others to come on board.
How about turning to the one on your right and say tell them to ‘Wakey wakey’
It’s time to rise’ and then we will join together and sing O boundless Salvation as our closing song.Sunday 5 July 2015Ephesians 5;1-13 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person - such a man is an idolater - has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no-one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them.For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
When I was a lad, I used to enjoy listening to the radio. You had no choice really, TVs's were not around then. One of my favourite programmes was 'Variety Bandbox' a show with singers like Joseph Locke and Donald Peers, comedians like Albert Modley, Cardew Robinson and Norman Evans. A memory man called Leslie Welch.
And - can you believe it? - and this was radio - there was even a ventriloquist called Peter Brough with his doll, Archie Andrews - I never once saw his lips move. That was - of course - until we got TV and then the truth was out - the ventriloquist opened his mouth wider than the doll.
One of my favourite acts were the 'impressionists. Stars like Peter Sellers, and 'the voice of them all', Peter Cavenah. These men could make you believe that you were actually hearing to the stars they were impersonating, they were really there. They were brilliant imitators.
Paul says to the Ephesian church, if you really want to please God, then 'be imitators of Him, live a life of love'. God is love, He loves us, and showed the extent of that love when He gave His only son Jesus Christ as a sacrifice for sin. My sin, and your sin. Jesus Christ, showed His great love for you and I by laying down His life His life, so that you and I could receive forgiveness, and live. 'Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children, and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God'.
They say that 'imitation is the sincerest form of flattery', they also say that 'flattery will get you no-where'. It would seem that in God's eyes, both are true, if you seek to 'be like Him'.
Trouble is that so often in this world, man follows the wrong role models. The people that he tries to emulate, the ones that he tries to copy. Depending on his or her interest in life, they tend to model their lives on all kinds of people. The movie star, the pop idol, the sportsmen and women, and the politicians. Their greatest aim is to 'be up there' with the stars, which often ends in disappointment.
We said last week that in a well adjusted Christian family our father should be the one we are able to look up to. In the Spiritual realm, the Christians role model should be our Father God.
Paul writes a very positive letter to the Ephesians, full of encouragement and good advice. We would do well to heed some of it. I guess that all of what Paul is saying them is summed up in this one verse, 'Be imitators of God'. He gave us the greatest role model one could possibly have, and that is His son Jesus. To be like Jesus, this hope possesses me. In every thought and deed, this is my aim. Don't copy the behaviour of this world, with it's sin and selfish desires. Sexual immorality, impurity, obscenity or even course joking which is improper for God's 'holy' people, and out of place. There is no place in the Kingdom of God for anyone who 'imitates' the world.

What Paul is saying here is don't be deceived by what you see and hear going on out there, and don't become a part of it, instead, set your eyes on Jesus. God's wrath will come upon those who are foolish enough to fall temptation to the world with it's foolishness and greed. For the Christian, that may have been in the darkness of your past but now you are 'light in the Lord'. You haven't just received the light, Jesus tells us that YOU and Me ARE the light . Therefore live as children of light, and find out what pleases the Lord.
The first instruction was 'to imitate God', the only way we can do that is by knowing Him through His word and prayer. Once we get to know Him then we can move on as Paul suggests here - to actually find out what is pleasing to Him.
When Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica, he said this; 'from Paul, Silas and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you. We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Acha.
Here we have it again, 'imitators of us and God, so that you yourselves become role models to each other, and especially to the unsaved. The world needs to 'see' the word of God - alive in us. They need to 'see' that the gospel is for living. Take the ‘L’ out of the WORLD and you are left with the living WOR-D of God.
The greatest sermon ever , is the one that is lived. As every Yorkshireman knows, 'It's better felt than tel't'. The world is sick of blooming words, and cries out 'show me'. God did in Jesus and He wants to do that in your life and mine. The key to this is to 'find out what pleases the Lord', and make it your aim in life.
Collosians 1; 'since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.
In the Old Testament, people mistakenly thought that to 'please the Lord' meant to offer sacrifices, burnt offering. To offer 'things' as a peace offering for there sins, when what God wanted was 'repentance, sincerity of heart, and a determination to 'be like Him'. In Jeremiah 6; 20 Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please me."
Paul puts the record straight in Hebrews 13; 15-17, 'Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased'.The fruit of lips that confess my name' I want you to LIVE it. By their fruits Ye shall know them, -we looked at that last week when we looked at Peters list of what he termed ‘additives to faith’ and Paul who rather saw them as ‘fruits of the indwelling Spirit’ Good fruit comes from trees that are firmly rooted in the vine. 'As Paul said May your roots go down deep into the soil of Gods marvellous love'. Eph 3;17 LB
What then pleases the Lord? Sincere Love for Him and for each other. To desire to be like Him is to know and mirror the life of Jesus, who gave His life to bring others into the truth, so that they would escape the wrath of God, receive forgiveness and exchange the life that the world offers for 'Kingdom life'.
Be loving, compassionate, understanding and patient with each other. Be prayerful always, hold each other in high esteem. Live at peace with each other. Live a life of Godliness and holiness, for as Paul says in a letter to Timothy, 'this is good, and pleases God our Saviour , who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. ( 1 Timothy 2; 1-4)
The church at Thessalonica seem to have got it right, ‘We continually remember before our God and Father your 'work produced by faith' that's living to please God, bearing the 'fruit of the vine' your labour prompted by love'. Our motivation is love, the love of Jesus. 'your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.' Love and Obedience is the key; By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you LOVE one another’
And the final word from Paul to the Ephesians chapter 5; 15 21 'Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. How we live our lives today determines where we will live our lives in the hereafter. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Sounds like a Gaither Homecoming! Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs- let your conversation find favour in Gods word, in other words - let your life be as expressive as your worship - Worship the Lord in the beauty of Holiness (Holy Living) Let the joy that you have in the Lord be expressed and seen in your life no matter what your situation or circumstance.
Last Sunday night after the Gaither Night, one of our regulars, One of our friends had to leave earlier than she normally did - I believe that God prompted me to go through the door and ask her if everything was OK.
She shared how her daughter was going into hospital the following morning for a big operation that would need to be followed through with Chemo. She was concerned both for her daughters well being and the fact that she distanced herself from her.
I held her in my arms and prayed that God would heal her daughter and that the operation would go well. I also prayed that God would heal their relationship at this difficult time.
I promised to pray for the situation which I have done every night and in my devotions every morning. On Friday she rang me to say that the operation had been successful and that her daughter had contacted her to ask her to come and see her and also to share a meal with her and her son. She was so pleased and together we thanked God for answering my prayers.
Our God is a great God who loves to bless and help others through you and me. The awesome truth is that we can be vehicles through whom He heals, blesses, comforts, and encourages others - Our God invites us to Be like Him. Jesus said ‘You are the light of the world’ let your light so shine before men that they might see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven’.. WOW! Dance your way through life.
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Find out what pleases the Lord, and do it! I started by mentioning the radio programmes I used to listen to. Well there’s one more that re-echo the final words of Peter. Its Billy Cottons call to ‘Wakey, Wakey’ "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."

Sunday 28 June 2015 Read 2 Peter 1; 1-4
Right from the beginning of this letter, Peter establishes a rapport, a basis to enable him to 'get alongside' his audience. From; Simon Peter, a servant and Apostle of Jesus Christ.
They probably saw him as one of the greats, after all they would know all about how he was commissioned by Jesus and sent out onto the mission church to be the vehicle through whom the 'risen Lord' would 'Build His Church'.
They would know all about the transformation of Peter from cowardly denying even knowing Jesus, to the Spirit filled bold preacher that stood before thousands on the day of Pentecost, and was instrumental in calling 3 000 to accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour and be filed with the Holy Spirit.
Here was a man who spoke with the authority of God, a voice that they had not heard since John the Baptist. Peter spoke about Jesus the Messiah, 'the Holy and Righteous One' with first hand experience, having spent three years under His ministry and teaching. Here was a man who 'knew Jesus' and not just 'about Him'. And yet he starts his letter, 'From Simon Peter, Servantand Apostle’.
'Servant'. I well remember when I first started work at Watmoughs, as a young account executive. I was presented with my first set of business cards. I was as proud as punch of the title, and gave all my friends a business card. 'Bill Cowgill, account executive.
When I was made 'Sales Manager' I was even more pleased, and then when I became Sales Director', well, my head was this big. We got a design company in to look at out identity. The first thing they did was look at the letter headings and business cards. To my horror, the name Watmoughs became more prominent, and printed in gold, and the name of the card holder, was so small you needed a magnifying glass to see it. I was deflated, and put in my place.
Here is Simon Peter, the greatest, the rock and what did he put on his calling card ? Servant. Peter took his job description directly from Jesus who 'did not see equality with God as something to be grasped, but humbled Himself, even to death on the cross'.
Matthew 20; 28 Jesus said, ' The son of man came not to be served ,but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many'.
We would do well to remember that. Position is a privilege bestowed on us from above. Whether it is the commanding Officer, the treasurer, soldier or adherent, we are all equal in Gods sight and have been brought together to serve one another as shown by the example of our Lord. That’s why Peter addresses his letter To those who through the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
To ensure that we remain strong in our faith, Peter reminds us that it is 'His Divine Power that has given us everything we need for life and godliness, how? through 'Knowing Him' who called us to be His own, and who invites us to 'participate in the Divine nature'
Wow! can you understand that, can we begin to grasp what Peter is saying here? This is dynamite, this is mind blowing, this shows the extent of God's love and commitment to you and me. We are precious to Him, He loves us so much that whilst we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. He gave His life - 30 years old - for us and by so doing made it possible for us to be emptied of self and sin, and into that empty place He poured His Spirit , filling us with Himself.
He made it possible for us to be 'born again (1 Peter 1;3), to start all over again, this time not just taking on the characteristics of our earthly parents, but becoming like our Heavenly Father. To such an extent that when He appears, we shall be like Him.
I find that 'Awesome' He wants us to become like Himself - He wants us to be partners in His Kingdom building business, shareholders in the family firm, and as such, beneficiaries of all the promises of God. We become inheritors of the Kingdom. 'What did we read? A living hope' that can never perish spoil or fade, kept in Heaven for you' (1 Peter 1; 3) That's you and me, and that's our God given privilege.
That’s why Peter says 'even though you know it', I'm going to continually remind you of all this. Again, and again and again! We need to realise how privileged we are. It’s as if he’s saying 'I'm gonna be a right pain in the neck' because this is important. The god of this world will try desperately to convince you otherwise. He'll find your weak spots, he'll tempt you sorely, he will try to bring you down, to make you doubt yourself, but I, - Peter, plan to keep reminding you of the glorious privilege that is yours of being a child of God, 'I want you to know how precious you are to Him'.
What has He done to enable me to live a life that is pleasing to Him, a holy, godly life in a depraved and corrupt world? How has He made it possible for us to 'shine like stars' in the darkness of this world? Not just by making Himself known to us, as He did in Christ Jesus. But by coming to live within us by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus had told His disciples that if they loved Him and lived in obedience to Him then the He and the Father would come and make their home within them.
The promise here is that He would fill us with His Spirit, so that we don’t just know Him but that He lives in us enabling us to adopt the very nature of God. Just as God could be seen in the life of Jesus so too Jesus could be seen in the lives of people like you and me. Just as the Word was made flesh in Jesus so Jesus can become flesh in us
WOW! What a privilege, what a responsibility
3 'His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness --through our knowledge of Him'. 'For this reason', Peter says, ' make every effort to add to your faith', and then he precedes to give a list of important additives to faith.
In the world in which we live, additives are often substitutes for the real thing -
that’s why, every morning I take Selenium that boosts the immune system in your body. This used to be a natural part of foods such as Bread but through modern production methods it’s been processed out and, unless you eat plenty of nuts, is lacking from our daily diet. Today there is a steady market in vitamin tablets - why - because so much of the natural goodness has been processed out of our foods.
Peter says that in order to foil the devil and not fall foul of his devious temptations that evoke wrong desires in us ‘to escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
Down the years, all these 'additives' that Peter lists here, have slowly been lost from our lives and culture - the goodness that the creator put there in the first place, is being slowly eroded from our lives. Things like, 'Goodness, Self control, Perseverance, Godliness, Brotherly kindness and Love'.
Qualities sadly lacking in the world today. When I was a lad, you could leave the door 'on the snack' or 'on the latch' without fear of being robbed. There was a mutual trust between neighbours. If you ran out of anything, there was no corner shop to go to, you just asked a neighbour, and went round with a bowl.
If anyone was ill in the street, it became the concern of the whole neighbourhood, who tended the sick person, saw the kids of to school, took in the washing, did the shopping until the crisis was over.
Running short of cash didn't stop you from going to the corner shop and get your groceries 'on the tic'. The shop keeper knew you and trusted you. He knew that you would pay at the end of the week, and sometimes if it was really hard, you could run up the bill into the next week. Try doing that in Morrisons!
We live in a different world that that of our youth and our parents - I know which age I prefer.
Additives to faith Peter calls them - sadly today, faith has lost it’s meaning - we live in a world where if I can’t see, if it can’t be proved then I’m not going to believe it. Where I say ‘Believing is seeing’ - the world says ‘seeing is believing‘.
In this so called Christian country we are seeing a daily eradication of faith values and schools are instructed to teach that which is contrary to what the Bible says. Christian values are being abandoned not just by the state but by many churches too.
I love Peter and what he is trying to say - but I believe that God wants us to look at this in a slightly different light this morning.
When I read again how Peter listed the additives to faith - the thought that came to me was that you could be led to think that the only way to gain these qualities is ‘by self effort - a striving to put on goodness, gentleness, self control etc and that’s why so many times we fail.
I much prefer Paul who, when writing about these additives to faith in Galatians 5; 22 refers to them as being ‘fruits of the Spirit’ in other words we don’t put them on by self effort they should be there through the natural working out of the inner presence of Jesus in our lives.
They are Gods blessing and evidence of our deep faith in God. They are the outworking of our faith and as we read about the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5, they are all there - Love, joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and Self-control.
What Peter calls additives to faith, Paul sees as the outworking of the inner presence of the Holy Spirit and when that happens we find that the Spirit filled man of God possesses a firm faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that will not be shaken by either circumstance or situation.
And so the spirit filled man of faith is able to display the Goodness of God in his life.
As he seeks to know God through His word, he develops a deep Knowledge.
He exercises 'self control' which ironically is Spirit led and enables him to curb his old selfish desires, and to resist temptation. He has the strength to persevere in his dependence and trust in the Lord, even when the going is tough, when the fire is hottest, when he is up to his neck in the troubled waters of life because he knows through reading Gods word that God promised that when he goes through trials in life that God will be there with him - supporting him and seeing him through.
He manifests godliness by letting the beauty of Jesus be seen in his life. By allowing the word to become flesh in him. By letting the work of the Holy Spirit be seen in his life, Loving, Joyful, Peaceful, Patient, Kind, Good, Faithful, Gentle, and Self-controlled. Because of that, the love of God will be evidenced in his unconditional love for others.Peter was right when he went on to say that If you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 'But if anyone does not have them, he is short-sighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins'. In other words, as men and women of God we need to make sure that our relationship with God is all that it should be and if not - do something about it.
What Peter is saying is that, If the Spirit of God lives in us then there should be no way that our lives can be ineffective. If on the other hand we are trying to accomplish these qualities in our own strength then that’s a different story.
If we say we have faith - we believe, but lack a hunger to read His word and so gain the knowledge we need there is something wrong. If we say we love Him but find it hard to love our brother and lack self-control then we need to look again at our relationship with God. If we find it hard to persevere in our relationship with God then all these so called ’additives to Faith’ will be impossible and no amount of self effort will accomplish them.
Paul is right when he stresses that these qualities are ‘fruits’ of the Spirit - just as these qualities were seen in Jesus’ life - it goes without saying that if Christ lives within you and I - what Peter calls additives to faith become in reality natural extensions of our faith.
What we need to look at is the depth of our relationship and commitment to God.'Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and You will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
WOW! A rich welcome in Heaven. That's worth the struggle, the battle, the pain and the hardship, that makes it all worth while.
That's not just a 'O hello, were pleased to see you, glad you've made it.' That's the Father flinging His welcoming, loving arms around you, putting the best robes around you, making you feel special. That's the Father weeping with Joy as His child comes home. You've fought the fight, You've won the race. 'Well done thou good and faithful servant'. You've made it! And great is the rejoicing in Heaven
You might feel that Peter makes it all sound so easy, like shaking a six and moving round the Monopoly board as if there are no other players. Trouble is, real life isn't like that. It's not easy. There's always someone on your back, trying to get you down.
The old devil knows our weak spots, he knows exactly where to plunge the knife in.
Even Paul confessed, ‘When I want to do right, it all goes so terribly wrong and I do the wrong thing'. Even Elijah despaired, and David cried out to God in desperation. But one thing is for sure, He knows, He cares, and He loves us all the same.
My prayer is that God will help us to put self away and fill us with His holy Spirit so that when the world looks at us they will be able to see something of the beauty of the inner Christ shining through our lives and that when we look at ourselves we will realise that God loves us so much and that He wants us to know that and help us to see ourselves as He sees us. Sunday Morning 21 June 2015' Fathers Day' John 3; 1-2 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see Him as He is.
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Today is fathers day, and all over the country children old and young, have thought of their fathers. For some, this will have brought joy and a sense of thankfulness for a father who has given his best for the sake of his child.
Today -Sunday - is our Heavenly Fathers Day. I want us to think about God our Heavenly Father, about His perfect and unfailing love for us His children, and our response to Him as our Father, how important it is that we live in close harmony with Him, so that we can reflect His character and His love, in the world in which we live.
The day set apart as a family of God to come together as a family to our Fathers house. We come to fellowship together as we meet with our Father. We come to celebrate His love for us, we come to tell Him that we love Him. We come to praise Him and thank Him for giving us life - real life in all it’s fullness.
We come, as any loving family would, to share our experiences of the last week in our sharing time. We come to talk to our Father. We come to listen to Him, We come to learn from Him, to seek His advice and hopefully to respond and act on His advice. We come to bring our needs to Him so that He can minister to us.
Our Bible reading stated that John wrote 'how great is love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God, and that's what we are! (1 John 3 1-3) You and I this morning are ‘Children of God , and God is your Heavenly Father
As his children it goes without saying that the more time we spend in the presence of our Father, the more like Him we will become. His ways will become our ways. We will learn how to please Him, how to stay in His favour. We will get to know Him, respect Him, love Him.
God is our Father. He loves us, we are precious to Him. He cares about us.
He's concerned about the quality of our life, that's why He sent Jesus, to give us 'life in all it's fullness'. That's not about money, fast cars, a successful business career, it's about the the things that really matter.
God is our Heavenly Father. Like any good Father, He loves us, we are precious to Him. He cares about us, He's concerned about the quality of our life, that's why He sent Jesus, to give us 'life in all it's fullness'. That's not about money, fast cars, a successful business career, it's about the quality of our lives, and the things that really matter. He wants us to live be able to live;Lives that are lived in the freedom of forgiveness, 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you, I have redeemed you; Isaiah 43; 1Lives that are lived in the knowledge that God called us personally to be His child.I have called you by name; you are mine’ said God. The knowledge that to God'I am precious and honoured in His sight’Isaiah 43; 4Lives that enjoy the confidence of knowing that whatever the world has to throw against us, He cares, and is there for us us.'Fear not, for I am with you'.The knowledge that ‘He loves us’ Isaiah 43; 4 That's the love of a Father who cares. That's the love of ' Our' Father .
A Father who chooses to live within His people, and the only condition is that we 'love Him in return, and are obedient to Him. Jesus said 'If you love Me you will obey My teaching, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our home with him. These are not just My words, but the word of My Father'. John 14; 23
At Fathers Day children send cards to their dads to express their love. How do we show our love and appreciation to our heavenly Father. - by loving Him and loving each other. Jesus Christ who was God incarnate, told His disciples ’I and the Father are one’ if you’ve seen Me, you’ve seen the Father.
Shortly before Jesus went to the cross, He shared with His disciples what was going to happen to Him - He loved them and He wanted them to know that it wasn’t the end but the beginning of a great new era in their lives.
John 14; 1-14 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."
Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, `Show us the Father'?
I can think of no better illustration of this that the one I’ve used so many time before. It was when Betty and John Matear, were leaving this Division to go to Territorial Headquarters, we all wondered who would come in their place. We had grown to know and love them both. They were good for this Division, and had served God well.
Tony Brown went to Balvonie, on a Salvation Army training course and while he was there met up with a young man called Duncan Parker. It turned out that this young man was the son of the new officers that were to take John and Betty's place at DHQ.
A couple of weeks later, Tony and I discussed the new officers, this was well before they came into the Division. Tony said, 'Well if they are anything like their son, they will be OK, He's a good lad' or something to that effect
Not often you hear it that way round is it? Last year my son Steven sent me a card that said 'A fathers day compliment. Dad, you're charming, good looking and youthful and as friendly and nice as can be, and I'm so impressed, that it's time I confessed.....that you really remind me of me! to dad with love from Steven '.‘Lord Show us the Father’ cried Phillip ‘Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father’ replied Jesus.
Paul writing to the Hebrew church, put it this way ' The Son is the radiance of God's Glory, the exact representation of His being'. And so Jesus rightly said to Philip, 'He who hath seen me, hath seen the Father'. The Father was seen in the son.
When Tony met up with the son of Major and Mrs Parker, he liked what he saw in their son, the boy had made a good impression on him. What Tony assumed was, that if the qualities that he saw in the young man were in fact reflections of the lads Father, and if so, then all would be well.

Jesus said 'If you love Me you will obey My teaching, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our home with him. These are not just My words, but the word of My Father'. The Father who delights in His children - God who allows us to call Him Abba - Father.
1 John 3;1 How great is the love that Father has lavished upon us - that we should be called children of God - and thats what we are’. John then says that you can tell who are the children of God and who are the children of the devil. 'He who does what is righteous is Gods child, and he who does what is sinful, is the devils child'. (7 -10)
What we see in the world is the evilness of the devil, the god of this world. The father of lies.
The father of lies who deceives his children into seeking short lived pleasures in exchange for the lasting joy of knowing Jesus.
The father of lies who persuades his children that this is all there is, 'make the most of it
The father of lies who keeps his children in a state of oppression, and slavery to sin,
The father of lies who tempts his children to experience what he sees as the 'best' that this life can offer, in exchange for the 'worst' that eternity with him will bring.
And so all around us we see reflections of the father of lies, sons and daughters of the evil one, satan, made flesh in his children. No wonder the papers and the media are full of 'bad news', the result of the influence that the evil one has, on this generation.
For the sake of the Gospel and the Kingdom, the world needs to see the qualities of God our Father, in us, His children.
It was humbling to see the response this week of the families of those who were killed in the Church bible meeting in America. They thought about the young man who had done this evil act and showed the love of God by forgiving him - realising I guess that he was acting under the influence of the evil one. God the Father was indeed seen in the hearts of the young man who had lost his mother and still prayed for the young lad who had done the evil deed.
So often the world in its desperation to see light in the darkness, to make sense of this life, looks to the church, to you and me, and cries 'where is your God, you profess to know Him, you sing your hymns, chant your chants, burn your incense, you raise your hands to Heaven, you have all the outward show, you go to church on Sunday, you wear the uniform, you look the part, - How about ‘showing us the Father'

Do we ? Do we reflect the Glory of our Father God?
Last week we read how the court looked upon the Peter and John who they accused of inciting the crowds, they knew that they were only doing what Jesus had told them. They had spent so much time with Jesus, that it showed on their faces. It is not enough to tell people about the Father, we need to 'Show them, the Father'. How by letting them see the son in us. Duncan Parker, the son, reflected the qualities of his father
We sing ‘As we gaze on Your kingly brightness, so our faces display Your likeness, ever changing from Glory to Glory, Mirrored here, may our lives tell Your story’
The best way of showing our love for God is by loving Jesus, being obedient to Him - that way, God our Father will come and live within us. Not a lot to ask for that kind of devotion, that kind of care, that kind of protection, that kind of love, is it ?How great is the love the father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God, and that's what we are! 1 John 3;1
I remember, that when I was a young lad, and the ice cream man came round with his bicycle with the ice cream cart on the front, all the street used to go out to meet him. Hardly anybody had a fridge in those days, and so you couldn't keep Ice cream in the house.

The choice was limited then, no 'feasts' or cornetto's, just the choice of a vanilla ice cream in a cornet or a wafer. If you were flushed, you could have a choc Ice which was simply a 'sandwich' with a chocolate wafer instead of a plain one.
The Ice cream man would then fill the mould with ice cream. If he liked you, he would pack the Ice cream in until it was deeper than the mould, and then sit the wafer on the top. It was so big, you couldn't get your mouth round it. If you were on your best behaviour, He could be very generous, very 'lavish'.
God is our Father, and as our Father, scripture tells us that He 'lavishes' His Love upon each of His children, unsparingly.
Paul writing to the church in Rome said this " All who are led by the Spirit of God, are Sons of God. We should behave like God's very own children, adopted into the bosom, the very heart of His family and calling Him 'Abba' which means Father. His Spirit speaks deep into our hearts and tells us that we are God's children, and because of that, we will share His treasures. Romans 8; 14
Wow! we are doubly blessed in that not only do we have our earthly Dads, now, but we also have a 'forever' dad in our Father God. Paul in a similar vein, wrote to the Ephesians with the good news that it was 'God's plan, that we should all be adopted as His children through Christ for God's pleasure.

We are His very own children, and as such, all the benefits of the Kingdom of God are ours. We are the children of the King! Doesn't that make you feel good, it should.

When we consider the depth of the Fathers love, and the length that He went to to bring His rebellious children back into the fold and family, then our only proper response is to love Him in return, and be obedient to Him.
Jesus gave us a lovely picture of the extent of our Fathers love for us when He told the classic story of the prodigal son who left his Fathers home and wasted all his money on riotous living. He finished up eating food from the pig troughs and when he came to his senses, and decided to go back home, his father was waiting for him.
The story Jesus told of the prodigal son, pictures the Father love of God,
A father who continued to love his creation even though mankind chose to separate himself from his Fathers love by his disobedience.
A Father who loved his child so much that he was willing to forgive him, and accept him back into His Family.
A Father who loved his creation so much that He was willing to come to earth to seek his wayward child, and welcome him home.
A Father who didn't impose His will on his child, but instead offered him a free will to either accept or reject His forgiveness and new life.
This is our Father God, we are His children, He loves us dearly and longs for man to forsake his waywardness, his rejection of Him, and come back into the fold and family.
In our bible reading, John goes on to say "Dear friends, now we are children of God and what we will be has not yet been made known, but we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, we shall see Him as He is.
The child begins to take on the characteristics of the Father. A spiritual re-birth - born again, adopted into His family, and the more time we spend in His presence, then the more like Him we become. John says that when He appears, we shall be like Him, which presupposes that we have taken time to be with Him.
On Wednesday we read from 2 Corinthians we with unveiled faces are being transformed into his likeness. Last week I asked the question how can we be mirror Jesus - the answer ‘by spending more time in His presence.
Jesus showed the Father love of God by spending time with His Father.
We grow to be like Him when we spend time in His presence, reading His word, when we spend time in prayer and praise. The more we do that, then the more our old selfish self is replaced by His loving, gentle nature. If we want the world to see our Fathers likeness in us His children then we have to be prepared to spend more time in His presence, learning about Him and taking on His likeness
That’s what Gods word means when Scripture tells us that those who desire to be called the Children of God have to be born again - a Spiritual rebirth - to take on the fathers attributers . ‘You must be born again’ Jesus said
Everyday should be our Fathers day, as we glorify Him in the way in which we live our lives, reflecting His love.

Sunday 14 June 2015Read Acts 4; 1-22
Last Sunday we looked at what happened when the cripple who had been healed just outside the Temple clung tight hold of Peter and John and ran into the Temple praising God for his miraculous healing - everyone was amazed.
We read how Peter used the occasion to again, challenge the crowds with the truth about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God a brave and bold thing to do face to face with the Jews in their own Temple. No wonder we read that this worried the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law who would feel threatened by the upsurge in the following that Jesus was getting.
And so they seized Peter and John and put them in jail until the next day when they could haul them before the courts and attempt to quell this upsurge in the popularity of Jesus. But the message had begun to take root and another 2000 men found the truth - that makes the total of 5 000 men - count the women and young folk as well and that figure would probably be more than doubled.
Peter, never to miss an opportunity, took advantage of the situation of being put in jail and when hauled before the courts, addressed them with the truth again. - it would seem that there’s no stopping them - they’re on fire.The question was ‘By what power or what name did you do this?’Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: ‘Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: it is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is “the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.” Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.’Peter shouted
This is a man who only weeks before had denied even knowing Jesus for fear of being persecuted himself. Now fired up with the presence of the Holy Spirit he is fearless in spreading the good news that Jesus Christ is the prophesied Messiah.
And so we are told that ‘When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realised that they were unschooled - not academics like themselves but just ordinary men - they were astonished and took note that these men had been with Jesus.
They saw the living proof of the healed cripple there before there very eyes and could do no other than give them a warning and set them free.

The verse that jumps out is this ‘They took note that they had been with Jesus’ Whilst they didn’t believe that Jesus was the Messiah, they could still see something in their actions, their attitudes, their responses that Jesus had made a great impression on them and that by simply spending time with Him, a little of who He was had rubbed off onto them. My mother used to say that you can always tell what kind of company you keep by the way in which you conduct your own life. Spend your time in the right company and it will show in your own life.Spending time with Jesus must show in our lives and our attitudes. The world out there, the man in the street, might be able to argue the truth or otherwise of the Bible, He might not even share the same belief that you do, but he won’t be able to dispute the truth that should be evidenced in the changed lives of those who spend time with Jesus, people like you and me.
As we can see in this episode in the lives of Peter and John, no one can dispute your testimony, especially if the evidence is before them.
As priests and elders looked at Peter and John, it was obvious by the boldness and the eloquence of these unschooled fishermen, that they had been in the presence of somebody greater than themselves, who had not only influenced them, but now by the power of the Holy Spirit, lived in them and whose very presence shone from them. They would see Jesus who Peter reminded them, they had led away to crucify.I wonder if people out there can see Jesus in us - you and me! They surely would if we spent more time in His presence. They probably know what kind of interests we have because we probably never stop talking about them. We wear the tea shirts emblazoned with the things that fire us - sport, films. We talk with fired up enthusiasm about the things that take up the most of our lives - but what about Jesus? Is it as obvious to others that we are Christians who know what it’s like to spend time inn His presence.
I’ve said it many time before that in just the same way that you can always tell who spends time in the SUN -because it shows on their faces - so too you should be able to tell who spends time in the presence of the SON - it should be seen on their faces and in the lives that they lead.
The teachers of the law couldn’t dispute the fact that Peter and John had been with Jesus because they could see it . Not only did Jesus shine from their faces but the evidence was there to see. The healed man was there as living proof!

They could only let them go with a warning, to stop spreading their message amongst the people. And Peters reply? - WOW! This is boldness 'No way'
Cor! that’s a right typical Yorkshire answer isn’t it, ‘No chance’ ' we couldn't if we wanted, we can't help testifying to what we have seen and heard'. Wouldn't it be great if that was the case when we have out testimony time? The truth is that today - Only when people out there see Jesus alive in us, will they want to know Him for themselves. The church, this corps will only grow when people like you and I start to live by the word, and let the word become alive in us.
We sang 'As we gaze on Your Kingly brightness, so our faces display Your likeness. Ever changing from Glory to Glory, mirrored here, may our lives tell Your story, Shine on me, Shine on me'..
It was obvious that the disciples had been with Jesus - spent time in His presence. It shone from their faces - it was revealed in their actions
We are called to be Gods 'Showhouses' to let others 'see' the quality of His workmanship. If you want any building work done - an extension, a conservatory, a new path - it is not unusual to say to the prospective contractor ‘ have you done anybody elses in the neighbourhood that I could go and have a look at’? 'Successful conversions' encourage others to employ the same builders, to do the same for them. In just the same way, 'Changed lives' attract others. The Kingdom grows, when people we spend our time with, either at work, at school, in the Supermarket or in the streets where we live - when they can see something special in our lives that they haven’t got. When they see how we cope when faced with the same kind of problems that they are going - it’s then that they will see that we have a strength that they don’t have brought about by a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus!
It was obvious by Peter and John’s faces, their changed lifestyle, their new found courage and boldness against all the odds. It was obvious by their obediance and faith in Almighty God that resulted in the miraculous, that something had happenned in their lives. They were living proof, living testimonies that could not be disputed.How effective is our testimony, our witness?

God calls us to live uncompromising lifestyles in a world that encourages compromise It is so easy to lower our standards in the misguided belief that by so doing, we will win those we witness to. We are called 'to be in the world, but not of it'. To get alongside people and by example, let them witness the joy and satisfaction that we find in serving Jesus.
Preaching alone won't bring people in to the Kingdom. The Word has to become flesh, and will always need to be seen in peoples lives. We are called to 'Mirror Jesus, to reflect the Glory of God'. And that will not happen if we are not looking to Him ourselves.
I love the answer that Elisa Doolittle gave to Proffesor Higgins when she was finding it hard to learn how to speak in ’proper English’ ‘Words! Words! I’m sick of blooming words - show me’. That’s what God did when the words became flesh in Jesus - and that’s what He wants us to do - to put the words into action and live it.
If the things that Peter and John and the other apostles had said had not been backed up with radically changes attitudes and lifestyles - then the people wouldn’t have taken heed to their words.
At the arrest of Jesus, Luke tells us that Peter followed the soldiers ‘at a distance’. When challenged by the servant girl ‘ Didn’t I see you with Jesus’ Peter strongly denied even knowing him. But not today! Today - there’s no hiding it. As Peter and John stood up to face their accusers, it was obvious that they had been with the Son, Jesus, because it showed on the faces, they 'shone for Jesus'. How can I (we) mirror Jesus? By spending more time in His presence.
2 Corinthians 3;18 And we all, who with unveiled faces are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. You can always tell a sun worshipper from someone who spends his time in the sun by the colour of his skin. Spending time in the Sons presence, shows.
Theirs was no mere 'living by the book', merely accepting a set of rules and regulations, they embraced the truth, and became the 'living word'. They were more than hearers of the word, they were doers. A people who saw the power of God with their own eyes, and were not afraid to harness that power.
This is about changed lives and lifestyle, this is all about re-direction, transformation, and ‘what God is doing here, He is still doing in the lives of 'ordinary people' like us.
The God who changes Caterpillars into butterflies, Sand into pearls and coals into diamond can change you and me.
Jesus came not only to give us' life in all it's fullness, abundant and fulfilling lives, but He also gives the 'power for living'.
Peter later wrote exactly that ‘His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1;3 'When Peter says 'everything we need' for life, he means exactly that, 'all that we need, That’s NOT all that WE want, or think WE need.
When will mankind learn that we worship an ' Awesome, extraordinary and supernatural God, who is above mans limited understanding, who is a god of the impossible?
To live our lives as if Pentecost was a 'one off' to get the church off to a good start, as many do, is to live as Timothy says, Having a form of Godliness, but denying the power'. Spiritual cripples who reject the helping, enabling hand of Almighty God as extended to them by Jesus.
What did they do when they had been released? they went back to their own people and had an almighty prayer meeting, asking God to give then more boldness and courage to continue to do the very thing they had been warned not to do, witness to the truth. 'Stretch out your hand O Lord, to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus'. After they prayed, the meeting place was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and immediately saw the answer to their prayer.
They were bold and uncompromising in their witnessing because they 'knew that Jesus lived within them by His Spirit' and therefore anything, even the impossible is possible in the name of Jesus by the power of His Spirit.
When will the church, and that means you and I, waken up to the awesome truth, that Jesus Christ wants to 'live' in us? Helping us to cope in both the ordinary and the extraordinary.What do people see when they look at you and me?
Do they know as much about our Christian faith as they do about other areas of our lives?
Do we put God first in our daily lives determined to spend more time with Jesus?
How real is Jesus to you? How much of your time is spent ‘getting to know Him’

Sunday 7 June 2015Acts 3;v11-26 While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. When Peter saw this, he said to them: ‘Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?
The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. Youhanded him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.
By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.
‘Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you – even Jesus.
Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. For Moses said, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.”
‘Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets who have spoken have foretold these days. And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, “Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.” When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.’
WOW! The awesome story of the birth of the Christian Church is being unravelled right before their eyes. Last week we read how following the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost where Peter, the one who had denied even knowing Jesus is filled with the Spirit and empowered to preach a sermon that firstly condemned the Jews for their actions in killing Jesus and then under conviction 3000 of them repented and were converted to accept Jesus as their Messiah. That was the first step - repentance and forgivenessThe second stepwas a desire to grow in Spiritually and so the new converts started to meet together to learn more about Jesus and His purpose in reconciling all people back to the heart of the Father and becoming witnesses to others of the love of Jesus. They couldn’t get enough of the Apostles teachings and were not content to meet just once a week but every day to share together their new found faith and as a result - God added to their number those who were being saved. A revolution had begun.
They became a together people - together in love, purpose and mission.Last week we saw stage three in the growth of the Church as Peter and John encountered the cripple begging outside the gates of the Temple. The cripple wanted money - Peter gave him more than that. Peter reached out his hand to the man and said ’in the name of Jesus Christ rise up and walk’ and immediately the man got up, and danced into the Temple much to the amazement of the congregation.
That’s where we left it - I suggested that what God was showing us that morning was a crippled church that needs to reach out to God and receive His forgiveness and be empowered to do and be what Gods people should be - a people hungry after the word, desiring to meet together to share fellowship and encourage one another with their testimonies of what God is doing in their lives. God wants a together church that is eager to grow spiritually and when He sees that, He will add to their number by sending new people into their fellowship.
Today we follow Peter, John and the cripple into the temple to see what happens next.
11 While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. The people were astonished - I bet they were - they’d seen this man sitting begging outside the temple - passed him every time they came and here he was - not just walking into the temple - but walking in and praising God as he walked.It seems that their astonishment was not just that the lame man was now walking but that he was praising God for a miraculous healing. A born cripple who they had seen outside for years was now healed and praising God for his healing. Healed because the power had come through Peter an Apostle of Jesus of Nazareth. That’s why;
When Peter saw this, he said to them: ‘Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus. He then - once again - in the same way as he had done on the day of Pentecost - Peter began to point the finger at them and accuse them of murdering the Messiah. Once again Peter is boldly reminding the people in the Temple that they had killed Jesus the Messiah. Once again he reminds them - backed up by plenty of their own scriptures.
Someone once said ’ If you want to be popular, preach happiness - if you don’t mind being unpopular, preach Holiness’. In an attempt to be popular the church has moved a long way from the day it used to walk around with a placard that said ’the wages of sin is death’ - it’s gone soft and places the emphasis on the love of God. The truth is though that in those days, they seemed to gain more converts than we do today.
Peter didn’t soft pedal the gospel and in both sermons he preached, the first at Pentecost and this second one in the Temple following the healing of the cripple, he didn’t mince his words but went straight to the point.
The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus.
You handed Him over to be killed, and you disowned Him before Pilate,(Even) though he had decided to let him go. (Instead) You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you.
You killed the author of life, but God raised Him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. WOW! Strong words - Peter’s not out to be popular - but because what he said was true it would resonate in the heart and mind of all those who were in the Temple that afternoon and the fact that the cripple was there standing before them acknowledging that he had been healed by the same Jesus that they had crucified would speak volumes and knowing they were in the wrong - the only way out was to repent and accept Jesus as Lord
Peter wanted them to know that the healing of this lame man was not any of his doing but the power of God that came through him - the same mighty power that Jesus had displayed is now seen in His followers. The same mighty power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is being manifest there right before their eyes as proof that Jesus was and is the Messiah. And so Peter continues;
By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong.
It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through Him that has completely healed him, as you can all see. Faith in Jesus - that was something they were not expecting.
WOW! His first sermon at Pentecost - even though Peter made them look at their own sin -resulted in 3000 of them being converted. Today Peter tells them the same
‘Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer.
And then offers them a way of redemption. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you – even Jesus.
Jesus came to offer forgiveness by paying sins price once and for all and in a way that they would completely understand as it was part of their religious upbringing - Jesus became the once and for all sacrificial lamb - all they had to do was repent of their sins and seek forgiveness through the blood sacrifice of Jesus.
What was the reaction? Of the people and the leaders?Acts 4; 1-4 The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. The arrest of Peter and John - they wanted to get rid of them and their new teachings that so conflicted to what they believed. But listen to this -
But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.I said last week that when the Rev Guy Lawrence came as minister of the Baptist Church in Idle - like Peter, he preached Repentance and forgiveness and was rejected.
The message of Peter wasn’t pleasant but straight to the point .
Today is the 20th anniversary of my appointment as Commanding Officer of the Idle Citadel Corps - 20 years - I can’t believe it’s been so long. In the June Newsletter I have charted some of the events of that first year and the following year when God started to move in an awesome way and we started to see growth in our fellowship.
We had more than our fair share of obstacles, the parting of the walls that took all our financial resources to put right - followed by the vision to build on at a cost of over £160 000. We followed Gods leading and He blessed us in many ways - including encouraging us with healings and mighty answers to prayer.
The devil didn’t like it and so sent people in who brought disruption and discontent. This was the start of a very difficult period. Not to be content with Beryl having to look after my mother who was afflicted with Alzheimer’s there was more trauma to come.
My mother died whilst we were at our first evening at Roots and so Beryl and I had to come home. Then cruelly Beryl developed Alzheimer’s herself and life at home became extremely difficult. Add to all that the death of our granddaughter Victoria and the death of our son Kevin two years ago - the last few years have not been easy.
Since Beryl died last year I felt the need every morning to kneel at my bedside and ask God to help me to know His will for me and for the Fellowship here at Idle. I have not found it easy over the last few months delivering what I felt were Gods word to us here at Idle. I’ve felt that God was asking us to look at our own lives and the extent of our commitment to Him. To give an honest look at where we are as individuals. To call us to develop a hunger for His word and seek His will for our lives. We’ve been asked to take a serious look at why we meet - and why on some occasions we chose not to meet.
It has been heartening to see some respond to that by kneeling here at the mercy seat. Five on the day of Pentecost and one a couple of weeks ago. I really believe that like the disciples following the Resurrection, that those of us who are soldiers are being asked to look back to our first calling - the time we came to Jesus and took up, our cross to follow Him and see how we have progressed spiritually and if we haven’t, to take the necessary steps to rectify that.
For those who are adherents to ask themselves if they need to move forward and take a deeper commitment - and for everyone else to respond to what they feel God is saying to them
My prayer was - and still is - that Pentecost this year would be the turning point in the lives of this fellowship and the beginning of a New and exciting move forward under Gods command for each one to be filled and empowered with the Holy Spirit that would result in the gifting of individuals to take a more effective role in the spiritual growth of this Corp.
God has seen to the fabric of the building - now I believe He is addressing the spiritual temperature of this fellowship that will lead to new and exciting growth.
The rest is up to you and me.Sunday 31 May 2015
It’s now 4 weeks ago we read how, following the ascension of Jesus into Heaven, He had commanded them to go back to Jerusalem and wait for the gift promised by the Father which was prophesied through the prophet Joel. They obeyed, went back and spent their waiting time in prayer and bonding with one another into a together people.
Last week we celebrated the birth of the Christian church. We read the awesome way in which the disciples came out of hiding, into the open and received the gift that Father God had promised to His people to become empowered, enabled and energised to be effective witnesses of all that Jesus had done and said. Just like Jesus - they were filled with the Spirit and were able to continue the work that He had begun, that of reconciling the world back to the creator.
They had been Ready - Willing but unable - powerless - last week we read how the Holy Spirit brought that transforming power to make the Ready, Willing and Able
The power of God that equipped the ordinary, working man, the fisherman, the office worker, the tax collector, to show His power to a watching world. When the day of Pentecost came - they were all together in one place when suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting - they saw what seemed like tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them and all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit’ WOW!
They went outside -they encountered crowds who had gathered for the celebrations who had heard the sound of the violent winds and were further amazed when the disciples spoke as every one of the crowd, people form different parts of the world who all spoke different languages - all heard in their own languages and understood what the disciples said. WOW!
What happened then, excites us today, as we read of the exploits of those early Christians. Peter the one who denied even knowing or being with Jesus now stands boldly proclaiming the risen Lord His Saviour .
Peter now filled with a staggering fearlessness - addressed the crowds and reminded them from Scripture what God had said through the prophet Joel that in the last days He would pour out His spirit on all people - they would see and hear the voice of God again and everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
He boldly reminded them of Jesus - that He was indeed the promised Messiah and that they had killed Him by nailing Him on the cross - WOW! How dare Peter - But here was a man empowered by the Holy Spirit to speak in great boldness so much so that the crowds cried out ‘What shall we do’
Repent and be baptised in the name of the Lord for the forgiveness of your sins and you will and not just that but also receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Peters bold challenging sermon brought three thousand - three thousand! people to repentance 3000 responded and devoted themselves to more of the Apostles teaching This was the birth of the church and WOW! There was more to follow
These were a people who lives had been transformed. A liberated, bold, excited people, full of expectation and wonder as to what God was going to do next. This was the birth of a church with a vision and a mission.
A church where things happened so fast, that everyone was filled with Awe, and saw the power of God right before their very eyes. A together people. Who couldn’t get enough as they hungered and thirsted for more knowledge of Jesus. They met everyday and together grew as they gained strength and encouragement from one another. Lets read about that-Acts 2; 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. What had happened, was so spectacular, that there is a danger that we relegate what happened, to the history books, and forget that what we are reading, is dynamite! 3000 - can you imagine it ? One minute the disciples were in hiding for fear of what the authorities and the people around them would do to them - they had been told to wait in Jerusalem until they had received the gift the Father had promised. I don’t think they would even begin to imagine what would happen next - what the gift was and what a difference it would make in their lives.Acts 3; 1-10: One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer - at three in the afternoon. Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.
When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognised him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
What a difference the presence of the Holy Spirit had made to Peter and John. Peter had denied even knowing Jesus but today, after being filled with the Holy Spirit he’s a different man - a Spirit filled man and God was going to show His power through him as he reached out to the cripple outside the church and bring a healing that put him back on his feet, and enabled him to dance into Church. The same thing happenned here a few years ago when young Christopher, legs in calipers waiting to see the specialist as he'd been told that he needed an operationto have a steel rod put down his spine. I laid hands on him, prayed and the following week he came into the church, no calipers on his legs and danced out to the front and shouted 'Jesus healed me' I don't need the operation and I can now wear pumps for the first time in my life'.
It’s so easy to just look at the miraculous power that Peter and John now had - the same power that Jesus had that enabled Him to heal the sick, give sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf. But when I read chapter 3, I believe that we are given a given a cameo - a picture of the state of Gods church before Pentecost, and the purpose and power of the church after Pentecost.
The crippled man speaks to me of a crippled church, struggling with life day to day - when all it needs is re-connecting with God - that connection is Jesus Christ.
Just like the vision that Ezekiel had in the valley of dry bones. A bones of dead bodies scattered on the ground. The question was ‘can these bones live’ Ezekiel said what so many would say today - ‘God only knows’ and what brought new life to the dead body - the breath of God the Holy Spirit.
Through the ministry of Peter and John, God was going to give that crippled man new life by putting him back on his feet just like God did when He breathed new life into the valley of dry dead bones and they arose like a mighty army.
The Church today can so easily be seen as the crippled body needed the breath of God, the power of the Healing Spirit to re-energise and bring new life into it.
What is it that is needed today to get the church, the body of Christ back on it’s feet to be the effective life giving - together church - a witnessing Church that will be so attractive to the world that people will want to be a part of it is for people, who like Peter and John, will come to realise what a difference the presence of God in our lives can make - not just to us - but also to the life of the fellowship to which we belong. We need to have that hunger within to really know God and seek to the embrace the awesome presence of His Holy Spirit in our lives.
It took Peter and John, now empowered by the Spirit, to connect the needs of the lame man with the power of Almighty God. In the same way - when we claim the gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives, something wonderful happens, we are filled with the very power of God, to make us more effective witnesses, to equip us to serve each other, and the world out there. We become eager to get to know Him and just as eager to make Him Known to others.
Lets remind ourselves again what those who accepted the message at Pentecost did;
1 They repented and were baptised for the forgiveness of sins. 38-41
2 They devoted themselves to the Apostles teaching 42
3 They fellowshiped together, and were in communion with their Lord 44 both in the common meal that they shared and prayer
Not only were they saved, but they were hungry for the word of truth and eager to meet together to share the fellowship of love and commitment. They were a together people at Pentecost and they continued to be a together people.
The early church was a church that realised the need to meet together regularly for bible study and prayer. Eager to learn about Him through His word and to get to know Him personally through prayer.
Sadly today there is a neglect of such activities as people fill their time with other things. People for whom Commitment to Spiritual maturity is low on their list of priorities. People who don’t think they need it.
Church registers, soldiers rolls are full of the names of able bodied people who make no attempt to do what the early church found necessary for growth and maturity.
In other words in every church there are those who could come but don’t and those who can’t come who would love to’.
The early church were a together people, hungry for the word, thirsty in prayer, and eager to fellowship together - every day. And that’s why God added to their number those who were being saved. Every day, not once a week! 46; 'Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
They knew that just as no one can live on one meal a week, neither can the body of Christ grow and mature by meeting together and feasting on His word only once a week. If Morrisons announced that they were only going to open once a week, there would be a public outcry. Churches don't have to announce that they will only be open once a week, because that’s the only time some folk go.
When folk say to me that they can be as good a Christian and stay at home, I remind them of these verses of scripture that we have just read. We need each other - In life being alone is difficult to come to terms with - a lesson we learn as we grow older. Just as in life people need people - so too to grow spiritually we need to be with people who like ourselves want to grow in our Christian faith.
Sadly today people are beginning to live isolated lives. They communicate with one another by texting, or on Facebook. I dread to think what the world will be like in another 20 years time. Sadly too people think that you can be just as good a Christian without going to church - how sad.
Just as the God needed to rock the boat of the disobedient Jonah, I believe that God needs to rock the boat of many who call themselves Christian today. If we want to be members of the family of God then we need to start acting like brothers and sisters
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together not just in one place but together in mission, and God came in great power and rocked the place.
What’s gone wrong? Where is this spirit empowered church that was given the potential to grow.
Why is it, that with such power available, churches today are full of spiritual cripples? people unable to walk in the spirit, and who are content to sit and watch their world go by, accepting second best, when there is power available to stand them firm on their feet, and to move them boldly forward ?
Why is it that there are so many struggling churches, who, like the lame man again, seem unable to stand on their own two feet, and who are powerless to minister to a dying world ? Could it be that the reason the church today fails to minister to the lame world is because the church itself has become the lame man - the spiritual cripple.
Sadly today many live in crippled churches that struggle to survive - some don’t make it and we see churches closing their doors and becoming carpet warehouses, wallpaper shops. Believe it when I say that I believe God is still wanting to build His church - and the power of the Holy Spirit is still available.
Jesus brought the church to it's knees first, and then with the gift of the Holy Spirit,
He raised it to it's feet again to stand firm and strong.
It’s time for the Church - you and me - to get our Act 2gether. Sunday 24 May 2015Read Acts 2 1-21
On 4 June 1995 Betty Matear inaugurated Beryl and I as Divisional Envoys of Idle Salvation Army. This is the actual message - word for word - that I gave that night. God brought it to my attention a couple of weeks ago when I was clearing some of our things. I read it and I believe God planted the seed in my heart to share it with you. I’ve waited for this morning as I felt that Pentecost Sunday was the time to share I as I believe that what I shared was a testimony of my own personal Pentecostal experience. I’ve not changed a thing - it’s exactly as I shared it that evening. Here it is
Nearly 25 years ago a young lieutenant and his wife David and Dorothy Murden came to Idle as our new officers. On the first Sunday morning the band sat , as they always did, in a semi circle on the front line and the congregation behind.
When David preached he stood with his bible arched over his left hand and opened up the Word of God to us in a way that I had never experienced before. The Word loved - it was relevant - it spoke to me.
When David preached it evoked in the hearer a sense of expectancy. The meeting was different somehow - I couldn’t have told you why, then.
I was bandmaster at the time - I’d been brought up, in the Salvation Army - been through the junior church, knelt at the mercy seat as a young lad. I sang in the songsters, taught the Sunday School, became youth leader. If you had asked me then if I had a personal relationship with Jesus - I would have said a resounding ’yes’.
Through the ministry of these two young officers I was to find that what the outside of me professed, what people saw of mw from the outside was not what the true picture. What the outside professed was not what the inside possessed.
That morning, David read from Acts 1 and then walked around, bible still arched in his left hands and looking straight at you said ‘in the next few months and years, God was going to do a great thing in your life - many here this morning will walk in paths they never expected - do things that of yourself would seem impossible’ - my heart nearly stopped - ‘if you are open and obedient to God’.
What he said excited me - I felt as if he was just talking to me - but he’d said ’many of you here’. I looked around the band, the congregation - I knew them all - what did they make of all this? What he said stirred something within me to want to hear more - he exposed a me I didn’t know existed - he revealed in me a thirst that needed quenching.
David pointed to us in turn - ‘You, You and You will be surprised at what God is going to do in your life and through your life. I couldn’t even begin to imagine the way in which God was going to reveal His truths to me - the way in which He would break me, melt me, mould me and fill me - not just once but time and time again.
Not many weeks after they came, I was in hospital - I had an operation on my kidneys that the surgeon said they hadn’t done for over 30 years. They operated but without success. My kidneys failed to respond and I was left having to rely on a pump at the side of my bed that worked as an artificial kidney filtering my blood and body fluids
David and Dorothy came to see me - I was due to go down to the operating theatre the following morning for a second operation. They asked if they could lay hands on me and pray. I had already told Beryl that no one was listening to my prayers. I unbelieving, said they could.
The next morning - I awoke to an un-eerie silence - the pump had been turned off.
I asked what had happened and was told that during the night my kidneys had unexplainably started to work and so I didn’t need the operation. I felt ashamed of myself that I had doubted God. That was the start of my spiritual awakening. I cried out to God for forgiveness, realising that I didn’t really know God as He wanted me to know Him. I vowed that when I got out of hospital I would seek God at the army Mercy seat. My prayer was ‘I want to know you Lord like they know You’.
When I eventually was let out of hospital, I went every night to kneel and pray at the mercy seat. On the seventh evening, I experienced a blessing that I can only describe a s a brilliant light entering me and I danced all the way home. I knew that I had been forgiven by God and that He had filled me with His Holy Spirit.
I was bandmaster at the time and started a weekly 10 minute bible reading and prayer slot in the band practice, which we were supposed to do anyway. One of the band lads challenged me and said they had come to practice and not to pray and read the bible - they do that on Sunday.
It wasn’t long after that that I found myself sitting with the congregation having given up my position as bandmaster. In one of those meetings God led me to a verse of scripture - Jeremiah 29;11 I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord - plans to prosper you and not harm, plans to give you hope for the future = then you will call upon Me and I will listen to you, you will seek Me with all your heart and I will be found by you. This was the message God sent to the exiles in Babylon after they had left their native Jerusalem. He had led them out but promised to bring them back.
I didn’t understand fully what God was saying to me that afternoon but it resulted in me leaving the Army and starting up ‘the New Life Fellowship‘. It became a place of retreat for disillusioned folk from other churches who were experiencing the same kind of rejection and were seeking to know Gods will and direction for their lives.
God showed us many things and taught us all new lessons while we were there. Two years later God led us back to the Idle Salvation Army and the officer at that time asked me to share the ministry on a fortnightly basis. The Corps was small at that time and only a few were meeting on the Sunday morning - the officer welcomed the doubling of his congregation when we went there.
Eventually Betty Matear came to Idle and under Gods direction asked Beryl and me to become Divisional Envoys along with two others that I had brought from the New Life Fellowship, Ray and Pamela Powell. I had been forced to retire ten years early from my job as Director of Watmoughs and so was free to do whatever I felt God was calling me to do.
Here I am today - 4 June 1995 -standing alongside Beryl - using the same text that David used 24 years ago, as my inaugural sermon as CO of Idle and that’s a miracle in itself.
God’s word excites me - His word is precious, life changing, alive, relevant and revolutionary - as Dynamic now as ever it was. His word is Dynamite. His Word convicts of sin, offers forgiveness, new life, reconciliation with our Father as well as being a guide for living and offering a hope of eternal salvation
I believe that today as we read His Word regarding the Pentecostal promise and the realisation of how that promise was received by His followers bringing empowering for the body of Christ, His church, is not just a historical fact but a present day possibility - not just for the privileged few - but for all people - the whosever.
Joel 2;28 In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, young men see visions, old men dream dreams. I will show wonders in the Heavens and on earth. Blood and Fire and billows of smoke and everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
What a privileged man Joel was. All we know about him is that he was the son of Pethuel and a prophet - yet God used him to warn his people not to continue in their sinful lives - warned of Gods punishment for a rebellious people and urged them to return to God - a kind , gracious, forgiving God and if they did God would bestow His blessing on them.
He then announces one of the most powerful events in the history of the church - the baptism in the Holy Spirit. This outpouring, this baptism began a Pentecost and still happens today - and will continue to do so until Jesus comes againPentecost- a marvellous picture of what God can do with an obedient people - an expectant people - a waiting and praying people. To the Jew, the historical Pentecost was a celebration of two great events.
1 - to celebrate the first fruits of the harvest Exodus 34;22 and
2 - to celebrate the giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai - which took place 7 weeks after the Passover
The significance of God’s timing in the revelation of the new covenant celebrations is astounding The Passover The sacrificial lamb whose blood covered the doors of the Jews to safeguard them from the angel of death prior to their release from bondage.
Easter Jesus the sacrificial lamb whose blood on the cross brought new life and release for the captives from the bondage of sin.
Now, seven weeks later - 50 days - Pentecost when by the empowering of the Holy Spirit the first fruits of the living word were evidenced as 3000 converts were made.
In the same way as the Law was given on Mount Sinai - now by Gods Grace, He has put the law in our hearts so that we are no longer under law but under Grace.
Exodus 19 The Lord descended on the mountain in fire. The smoke billowed like smoke from a furnace - the whole mountain trembled Acts 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a mighty wind came from Heaven and filled the whole house. They saw what looked like tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them and they were filled with the Holy Spirit.
Today we celebrate Pentecost - it could be just another date in the Christian calendar - it could also be a very significant day in your life and in the history of this Corps.
The three things that are important to take note of in Acts are;
1 The believers were obedient to God’s word, the command of Jesus to;
‘Wait in Jerusalem until you receive the gift Your Father promised’
Many times we get tired of waiting and try to organise our own programme and then ask God to bless it - we then wonder why it failed - we get weary with failure.
Revival and blessings come when we wait on the Lord’s direction - when the time is right and when we are equipped by God to go in His strength
2 The believers were a together people - the main components of marriage, close friendships, successful teams, togetherness, united, working together as one.
The disciples had gone through a lot of upheavals, change, fear. They could easily have disbanded and fled for safety - but they didn’t - they obeyed Jesus and waited together. How? In fellowship.
3 The believers were together in Prayer - Acts 2;42 ‘They devoted themselves to the Apostles teaching, obedience through the word and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer’. and what happened - ‘the Lord added to their number, daily those who were being saved
Prayer works - there is power in prayer. Many churches have forgotten how to pray and lost the vision. We need to get back to the new testament truths and our roots in the Salvation Army
Smith Wigglesworth writing about his experience aged just 16 when in 1875 the SA came to Bradford says this; 'I delighted to be with these earnest Salvation Army people. Every week we prayed for and saw scores of sinners yielding their hearts to Christ. I continued with the Salvation Army because it seemed to me they had more power in their ministry than anybody else at that time. We used to have all nights of prayer. Many would be laid out under the power of the Spirit, sometimes for as long as twenty-four hours at a time. We called that the baptism in the Spirit in those days. Those early Salvationists had great power and it was manifested in their testimony and in their lives. We would join together and claim in faith, fifty or a hundred souls every week and know that we would get them.
Prayer is the Christians vital breath. Do we? Will we? Dare we? We have already seen answers to prayer in our Corps as attendance has doubled. Pentecost is not History it’s a present reality.
We sang ‘send the fire’ upon a waiting people - do we mean it?
We at Idle are getting it together - a together people
We need to be obedient to Him waiting upon the Lord in prayer.At Pentecost the Christ on the outside became the Christ on the insidePentecost possibilities excite me - together we will be amazed at what God will do here in Idle if we pledge ourselves to obedience to His word, share a fellowship of love, seek Him in prayer. Then He will give s the promised Pentecost - His living presence. ‘You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you‘.
I believe it - do you? Lets work together, seek His direction and pray.
This concluded the message I gave 20 years ago in 1995.
WOW! God has been true to His word. We’ve seen miracles of healing when I prayed for young Christopher who was due to go to see the specialist to have a steel rod inserted into his spine to help correct a genetic curvature of the spine. All the time we knew Christopher he had worn calipers on both legs. I laid hands on him and prayed for healing. The next Sunday he walked in the hall without any calipers on his legs and told us that he didn‘t now need the operation as God had healed him - confirmed by the specialist.
God gave the vision to build a new Community Hall costing £160,000 and provided all the money to pay for it. Only last year God provided the full cost, £180 000 to replace the damaged roof on the Worship Hall, not to mention the full cost of new chairs £6000, re-decoration and 26 new windows £13000 - What God has been doing here is awesome - and I believe that’s only His preparation for even greater things to come - He‘s built the worship and Community Hall now He wants to build the body, me and you, to become the living temples in whom He will dwell by the power of His Holy Spirit to enable us here at Idle to move forward and become a power house for God. Believe it!
Our scripture tells that those who gathered on the day of Pentecost were; A Together people - that, I believe is the starting point for revival. A together people - waiting on God.
Over the last few weeks we have looked at how the disciples of Jesus were brought to a STOP in their lives - to stop - be still and Know God - that was my prayer all those years ago when I knelt here at the mercy seat.
We read how Jesus told them to WAIT in Jerusalem- they did and whilst waiting they sought Him in prayer.
This morning, Pentecost, He’s empowering them to GO and be His disciples - witnesses to the world of His love, His forgiving Grace and the New Life that He offers to all who will accept Him as their Lord and Saviour.
Peter addressed the crowds - and boldly pointed the finger of blame for the death of Jesus - upon them - calling them to repent v14 and be baptised in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins v 38 and reminding them of the promises of God ‘and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’ not just form them but for me and you today.
They heard and responded and v 41 Those who accepted His message were baptised and about three thousand were added to their number that day’
WOW! That promise still stands today - It can be your experience - this day to be forgiven and begin a new life in Christ. It can be your experience this morning to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit - to be filled with His Spirit that will empower, enable, and equip you to move forward in your spiritual experience and make your discipleship effective.
In the closing minutes of this meeting I want you to think about what we’ve said, what Gods word says and where you stand today in relation to your spiritual experience. Maybe, like I did, you need to experience that inner something that those who gathered at Pentecost - waiting for the promised Holy Spirit. You need to reach out to God and claim the presence of the Holy Spirit in your own life.
I can guarantee, like those disciples, you will never be the same - people will be able to see the presence of Jesus in your daily life. You will be empowered and the Spiritual life of this Church will be strengthened.
We listened to a beautiful song ‘Suddenly’ sung by Alvin Slaughter.
After a short silence we sang ‘Be still for the presence of the Lord is moving in this place’ followed by prayer and a final song of triumph ’I’ll go in the strength of the Lord’

Sunday 17 MayActs 1:1
Last Thursday was the day that the Christian church celebrate Ascension Day. The Day when Jesus ascended into Heaven - went back Mission Accomplished
His mission was of course to reconcile mankind back to the Fathers heart.He came made it possible for man to receive forgiveness for their sin by giving His own life on the cross as a sin offering.He came to show man, by example, the way to live in harmony with God and one another.He came to establish His Church - not a building , but a BODY of redeemed people who would continue the mission He began by becoming witnesses of the transformation Jesus had done in their lives. His ultimate aim was to open the gates of Heaven to welcome redeemed mankind into Heaven as citizens of a New Kingdom, the Kingdom of GodThe ascension was from the peak of the Mount of Olives The Mount of Olives is regarded as a sacred place, Many Jews have wanted to be buried on the Mount of Olives "since antiquity," based on the Jewish tradition (from the Biblical verse Zechariah 14:4) that when the Messiah comes, the resurrection of the dead will begin there.
I was amazed to learn the there are an estimated 150,000 graves there, including tombs traditionally associated with Zechariah and Absalom. On the upper slope, the traditional Tomb of the Prophets Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi? is situated.
It was also a familiar place to Jesus who regularly went up onto the Mount of Olives.
The Triumphal Entry of Jesus riding on a Donkey and her colt into Jerusalem took place over and down the Mount of Olives (Luke 19:29-44). As he came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples ahead. "Go into that village over there," he told them. "As you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying that colt?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it.’"

It was at the Mount of Olives that Jesus prayed with His disciples just before His arrest that Fateful Night (Luke 22:39-42). Accompanied by the disciples, Jesus left the upstairs room and went as usual to the Mount of Olives. He knelt down and prayed, "Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine." Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. - ’as usual’ It was a place He frequented often.
The garden of Gethsemane was on the Mount of Olives. It was on the Mount of Olives that Jesus prophesied about the sign of His second coming and the end of the world Matthew 24; 3 pp 993
The Mount of Olives was a very important place to the Jews - It was there that the Sanhedrin lit fires to signal the whole of Jerusalem that God was to be worshipped - being the highest place it could be seen for miles around. In just the same way all through history - right up to modern times, beacons have been lit on high places across the length and breadth of the nation to rally people together on important occasions. Today we have the church bells ringing on a Sunday morning.
The Mount of Olives then was an important strategic place for the return of Jesus to Heaven. An important place from where the ministry of Jesus would continue through the lives of His followers. An obvious place from which Jesus would return to Heaven. Here He was with His beloved Disciples - the ones He had chosen to become Fishers of men - to continue His work on earth of spreading the good news and turning men’s hearts from their old ways to accept Him as their Lord and Saviour.
He knew that they were just ordinary people He had called and therefore would need equipping, enabling - some special infilling that would empower them to continue what Jesus had begun and take His message to the sinful world.
And so Jesus commanded them "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptised with water, but in a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit." you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." "After He said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid Him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 'Men of Galilee,' they said, 'why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, Who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.'" (Acts 1:9-11)
I never cease to be amazed at the way in which Bible prophesy in the Old Testament is fulfilled in the New. According to the prophet Zechariah, Jesus will return not only in the same way, but to the same place. Zechariah declares, “On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south” (Zechariah 14:4).
The Mount of Olives was very location where David wept in defeat and where Jesus was betrayed and rejected and as Zechariah prophesied and Jesus acknowledged, the Mount of Olives will be the place where Jesus returns in triumph over all His enemies.
Even Jewish teaching has it that Jewish sources connect the Mount of Olives with future miraculous happenings that will occur at the time of the Redemption what did we sing? ‘Behold He comes - from Zion’s hill
From here Jesus ascended into Heaven with the promise that He would return one day in the same way and to the same place that He had ascended. Until then, His disciples had a work to do and to help them they needed empowering from God., So for the meantime, Jesus told His disciples to Wait in Jerusalem.
Wait - we looked at that a couple of weeks ago in relation to the traffic lights we encounter almost everywhere we want to go. We said then that there comes a time in our lives when we are called to STOP. To stop what we are doing, the life we are living and be still before God. It might come as a personal decision - sometimes it’s God engineered. The we see the orange light that tells us to WAIT - that’s where the disciples are now - Wait said Jesus until the green light tells you to GO
Why wait? we live in a world that says that you don’t have to wait - you can have it now - today. We have instant Coffee - instant meals microwaves that enable you to prepare a dinner in minutes. CD’s that enable you to get straight to the song you want without the need to play all those leading up to it. Waiting is not something that comes easily. We live in a ‘ I want it and I want it now - society.
Yet the Scriptures tell us that waiting is important - in fact as we saw a couple of weeks ago - the waiting time is important. Isaiah 40; they that wait upon the LORD will renew their strength
"Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised,
Next Sunday we will be celebrating the fruits of that waiting time that the disciples ‘endured’. Pentecost the time the church, the body of Christ went public - out onto the streets - not cooped up in mausoleums - dead lifeless ineffective churches.
This was the birthday of the real Church - the church down our street - the time when Gods people realised the awesomeness of His indwelling Spirit as they began to move in the spirit and see the very power of God flow through them - which is what happened when Peter and John met the lame man -imagine how they felt when they became channels of Gods power - right their outside the doors of the church.
Those early converts not only encountered the awesome truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ - but knew by experience that He had come to live in their hearts and therefore was integral in their thoughts, their actions, their living. This was the birth of the Church. Gods people had to be born again so that they could give birth to the Church.
William Booth realised the awesomeness of what would happen in the Church when the people who frequent them receive the empowering of the Holy Spirit. O how we yearn for the fire of the Holy Spirit to once again set His church ablaze so that the world will see the awesome power of God in us drawing mankind to the feet of Jesus. I believe that revival will come to the church when Gods people get back to giving themselves in total commitment to His service and are prepared to wait for His anointing, His enabling and His empowering. I believe that revival will come when Gods people and fellowships cry ‘break me, melt me, mould me and fill me’ Spirit of the living God fall afresh on me’.
Last week we had a powerful meeting where we felt the call of God to renew our commitment to Him and His fellowship. We looked at the challenge that Joshua made to his people who had been set free by God those years earlier but since that time had grown cold and went back to their old way of life. He called them to look at the way they were living today and decide who they are going to give their time and allegiance to. As for me and my house, he said - we will serve the Lord.
If we want to continue enjoying the blessings, help and presence of God in our daily living and in our fellowship then we need to continually ask ourselves the question where am I? Is my spiritual life separate from my day to day life. Maybe it’s a time to STOP and WAIT so that God can empower us to GO for Him.
Jesus said ‘Wait’ stay just where you are - don’t move out of Jerusalem until you receive the gift My Father promised. Just where you are - that was Jerusalem - that’s where their ministry was to begin and spread outwards into all parts of Judea, Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth. What did the Father promise? Joel 2:28 pp 914 I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. WOW
Jesus said ‘Wait’ stay just where you are then - you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." The humble fishermen, the despised Tax collector were to be transformed into fishers of men just like Jesus said they would - but not until they had been filled with the Holy Spirit - just like Jesus. They would be equipped and enabled to be His witnesses of all that He had said and done - more than that, to do the same things He’d done - Empowered by the Holy Spirit from within.
After Jesus had said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."
Just as Jacob stared up the steps of the ladder that reached upwards to Heaven. Just as the disciples stared up to Heaven as Jesus rose to return home. We like them are called to Stop staring up the steps wait for the empowering needed to step up the stairs!
It’s years since we all sang that song ‘I’m climbing up the golden stairs to Glory’ We sang it with such gusto - what’s happened since then? Could it be that some have stopped climbing and gone back to their old ways. Maybe this morning God is speaking to you - to STOP, WAIT and be prepared to listen to what God is saying.Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day's walk from the city. When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying and they all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
They were told to get back and wait on Him. That’s the secret - wait but don’t waste your time doing nothing - pray - seek His will and purpose for your life and ask Him to come and equip you to do what He desires of you in His Kingdom building work.
During the Welsh revival the prayer of Evan Roberts was ‘Lord shake your church’ and that’s what God did - He shook it to the Core. I believe that there is also a great need for a spiritual shake up that will bring the church back to its senses that will restore vision and renew our mission If we are obedient to Him - He won’t just Shake this Church to the core, but Shake this Corps to become His Church
In closing we are going to sing - Lord I pray that I may know Thee - Risen One enthroned on high. - To know Thee so that I can make thee truly known

At the close of the meeting one dear soul rededicated her life back to God at the mercy seatSunday 10 MayJoshua 24; 15 ,…choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.’ _____________________________
On Thursday the country turned out to vote - we went to put our cross against the person we thought would govern this country correctly and have the best interests of the individual to heart. Over the last few months we have been bombarded with manifestos - printed pamphlets that put forward the ideas of the individual parties that were full of promises of what they would do if we voted for them. The existing party detailed their track record over the time since they were last elected and what they would do if re-elected to make this a better country to live in. The manifestos from all parties were full of promises. What I didn’t like was the way the opposition spent a lot of energy trying to pull down the other parties by claiming that they had broken the promises they had made at the last election.
Representatives of all parties took time on TV to present their case before a wide audience as well as pull down the other parties. I was quite confused and it wasn’t an easy decision on Thursday to know who to vote for and place your trust in.
It reminded me of Joshua, who took over from Moses who had brought the Israelites out of the bondage of Egypt and set them on course for the promised land people. They came to the River Jordan - the way to the promised land was on the other side of the river. To continue on their journey, they had to cross the river.

Joshua reminded them of their journey so far. God had brought them through deeper waters, the Red Sea - He had parted the waters and they had travelled safely through to where they are now. Joshua shared with them how God had brought them out of the darkness into the light, out of bondage and slavery and set them on the way to freedom and a new life. Not unlike the Conservative manifestos I’d been reading over the last few weeks.
In the same way, Joshua showed his people how God had a good track record - reminding them that he’d brought them so far all they had to do was continue to place their trust in Him and move forward or go back to their old way of life.
They knew that they had gone safely through the waters and were encouraged that God could do it again. The choice is yours Joshua said. ‘Choose this day whom you will serve’ it’s voting day - where will you place your cross - ‘As for me and my household - we will serve the Lord - I’m putting my cross in Gods box’.
They did - God made a way through the river - led by the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant with them - and continued safely on their journey. Theirs was a safe choice as the one they chose, God, had a proven record. There they were in a similar position they had been in years before when they faced the Red Sea - today it was the river Jordan.
It was like that for the disciples that we read about last week who had gone back to their old way of life following the death of Jesus. Jesus appeared on the shore, exactly like He had done three years earlier when He first called them to leave the past and follow Him. Jesus took their minds right back to the time He first called them and how by doing things His way, following His example, they had found faith in Him and had been blessed with His presence. The choice was theirs, do as He said, choose to follow His direction or go back to their old ways. Obviously they chose to follow Him and He was faithful to them.
On Thursday - the country had to choose to either stay with the existing party, the one they had chosen at the last election or change direction and, in the words of the existing party, go back to how it was before. As I am writing this I have no idea what their choice will be.
The manifesto that God puts forward to us all is clearly set out in His word. The cry of Jesus was ‘I would that all men be saved’ God wants His creation back. God wants His chosen people to live in a world of peace and harmony. A place governed by love - a heaven on earth - that’s the promise - the eternal hope that we are all called to.
The choice is ours - we all have an individual vote to place our cross alongside that of Jesus who said that if we loved Him and lived disobedience to Him, He would come and live within us and make us inheritors of the Kingdom to come.
In the same way that we had lots of tracts over the past few weeks from all parties designed to help us make the decision who to accept as our leader, in an attempt to persuade mankind wether to accept Jesus as leader - we His manifesto - the bible - Gods promises that if we elect Him He will govern with justice, take care of us, protect us and see too it that we inherit the Kingdom. His track record is awesome - laid out clearly in the Gospels and lived out in the lives of the faithful.
What’s even more amazing is that God chose us first - 1 Peter 2; 4 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy’ WOW! we are Gods elected servants and as such He wants us to choose Him and elect Him as our leader - our King -our Saviour.
When we chose who we wanted to govern the country we put our cross alongside his name. That’s exactly what Jesus did for you and me - He didn’t just put His cross alongside our name - He took up His cross, was nailed to it. We are called to chose Him and put our cross along side His name and take up our cross and follow Him.
Joshua said ‘As for me and my house we will serve the Lord’ what’s your choice?
When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour and elect Him as our leader - we become, not just followers of Him but His representatives in a fallen world.
In the bible we read how Gods chosen representatives were people like Peter and Paul who stood for Him gave their election speeches and challenged the prospective voters to put their cross against His name stand alongside them. Peter who had let Jesus down became one of His first great representatives and evangelists who spoke with real boldness and conviction challenging the people with a rallying call. He reminded them of their foolishness in rejecting Jesus to the point of killing Him on the cross - he then went on to call them to repentance, to make their choice and take up their cross and follow Him. People listened and made their choice.
Paul, who was zealous for God and saw Jesus as a new cult leader who was leading the devout Jew astray with His new teachings - He himself saw the light on the way to Damascus and his life was turned around - from persecuter of the Christians he became himself a persecuted Christian. He stood on many occasions and spoke up in defence of Jesus - He put His cross alongside the name of Jesus.
I love the way in which Jesus became like us - He came and lived amongst us - He knows what we are going through. He identifies with the poor, born in a borrowed stable, rode into Jerusalem on a borrowed donkey was even buried in a borrowed grave. He knows how difficult life can be.

Isaiah tells us that ‘He was despised and rejected - a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief - Isaiah 53;3. Mankind hid his face from Him probably through Shame? Rejection? He did all that for us. He came to bring us out of darkness into His glorious light.
He deserves our vote - He deserves that we put our cross alongside His name. That we take up that cross and follow Him. When we do, He will govern our lives with justice - He will bless his people by drawing alongside us in the difficult times of our lives. He will promise a future that no one else can guarantee - abundant life now and eternal life to come.
In the closing moments of this meeting I want you to think very seriously about your own life - who you want to reign over you - who you want to govern your life - who you want to place your trust and your hope in. God has a proven track record - He chose you and me to love Him and live in obedience to Him - He chose us to inherit abundant life now and eternal life to come - to live forever in a world of love.
Just as Joshua challenged his people to ‘chose this day whom you will serve‘, people who had been set free by God and were on their way to the promised land but who over the years had drawn back somewhat from their first calling and were not as committed as they had been at first, - just as Joshua challenged them I believe God is throwing that same challenge to us this morning. Lets get together again - chose Me - re-elect Me as your Leader and lets get back on track.
I believe that God is saying that together WE can make a difference in this world.
Do you remember the manifesto that Jesus stood up to read in the temple when He began His ministry?
Luke 4;18 ‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me and anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. freedom for the prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind, And to set the oppressed free
He did that for you and me He is the Good news for the poor in Spirit, He set us free to embrace life to the full, He opened our eyes to see the truth that set us free from the bondage of sin, When we accept Him as our Lord and Saviour, He elects us to serve Him in sharing what we have received with others. You - that me and you - are a chosen people, - God’s special possession, that we may declare the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His wonderful light.
What a privilage - what a responsibility - 'Chose this day whom you will serve' What’s your answer, what’s your choice?
Here’s the voting booth - ( penitent form) here’s the voting paper - ( se below) I invite you, if you haven’t already done so, to come and place your cross alongside His name and accept Him as your Lord and Saviour.
The decision you make now is more important than the one you made on Thursday and because He does not backtrack on His promises, will have a lasting impression on your life now and forever.
My desire is to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour and ask Him to forgive me for the past and help me to live a life of obedience to His will. My prayer is that He will help me to live a life that will honour Him and encourage others to want to know Him for themselves. I therefore add my cross alongside His.At the close of the meeting -five of us responded by kneeling at the mercy seatSunday 3 May 2015
Luke 28; 36-49 While they were all talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and told them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and terrified, thinking they were seeing a ghost. But Jesus told them, “What’s frightening you? And why are you doubting? Look at my hands and my feet, because it’s really me. Touch me and look at me, because a ghost doesn’t have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” After he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. Even though they were still skeptical due to their joy and astonishment, Jesus asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”
They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence. Then he told them, “These are the words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms had to be fulfilled.”
Then he opened their minds so that they might understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is how it is written: the Messiah was to suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and then repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.
I am sending to you what my Father promised, so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
I’ve been amazed at the amount of road works there has been, and still is in our area over the last few weeks. Traffic lights everywhere - slowing everyone down.Stop Red Traffic lights - don’t you just hate them? You’re travelling on nicely, probably enjoying some music in the car - enjoying the journey and you hit the traffic lights - well not actually hit the traffic lights - but you have to stop.
The worse time is when you’re in a hurry to get somewhere - church for instance - and you come across some road works that weren’t there last time you went that way and you have to stop at the red light behind a long line of traffic.
There’s been a lot of them in Thackley lately. Whatever - we don’t like having to stop in our tracks, put a halt on our journey.
That’s what it must have felt like for the disciples. Over the last few weeks we have been looking at the incidences in their lives following the crucifixion of their beloved master Jesus.

Everything was going on nicely - then the journey they shared with Jesus came to a nasty abrupt end. One minute He is being exalted into Jerusalem as the crowds sang their Hosannas - the next He’s being dragged off by the authorities and hauled before the courts. One minute they were a valiant band of His followers now they were in hiding for fear of what might happen to them.
Then they had to stand by and watch as the authorities crucified Him - dead and buried in a tomb. Their lives had certainly come to an unwanted STOPRemember this? Played the signature tune from 50’s Radio ’In town tonight’
As a young lad I listened to this Saturday night programme and marvelling at how one mans voice shouting ‘Stop’ could ‘halt the mighty roar of London’s traffic and bring you people who are ‘In town tonight’. Just a shout ’Stop’ and the air went silent - WOW!
I remember going to see a musical show at the Alhambra called ’Stop the world, I want to get off’ - how many times have you and I felt like that - the life was getting on top of us and we needed to stop.
God knew that we would go through such times, that’s why in we have the words ’Be still and know that I am God. -Psalm 46; 10 in other words Stop what you’re doing and come before God - seek His presence.

That I believe is the disciples would feel like when Jesus died on the cross - their little world had come to an end - unbeknown to them - for now at least.
It happened that way for Saul when he was on the Damascus Road. He was doing what he thought was Gods will in getting rid of this new cult that had sprung up led by this man called Jesus with His radical preaching that often clashed with the religious thinking of the day.
While he was on his way to get rid of the followers of Jesus and put a stop to their progress - He himself was called to halt in his way - to stop and be still before almighty God - it was then that he encountered Jesus - the very man his own people had crucified - it was then that Paul saw the light and was converted.
The disciples lives came to a STOP, Paul came to a STOP. I believe that there are times in our lives that we are called to STOP so that we can spend some time in reflection and assess where we are at in Spiritual terms.

Last week we talked about that very thing - the time when the disciples in hiding and those on the road to Emmaus were called to STOP - be Still and know that I AM God.
Jesus did it by bringing their attention to scripture and the importance of knowing His word that and through it helping them to see that He was the Messiah, the WORD made flesh. We said then how important it is that Gods people gather around His word together and share their experiences. That’s what we did last Wednesday and what a blessed time that was.
The disciples lives were called to a STOP and when they went back to their old ways - fishing, Jesus took them back by repeating that first call when they caught no fish and He told them to cast their nets on the right side and they would - exactly like they had done those three years ago. I ended last week by saying that I believed God had given me this message to share that morning in an attempt to let us reflect over our own spiritual progress since we first felt the call of God to leave our past and follow Him.That brings us to our second light - the orange sign that tells us to WAIT.
The STOP was bad enough but the WAIT - some times it seem an eternity. We have’nt time to just sit and do nothing - to WAIT
‘Wait in Jerusalem’ were the last words Jesus shared with His disciples before His ascension, which we celebrate on 14 March, 40 days after Easter.

Isaiah 40 says , they that WAIT upon the Lord shall renew their strength - they shall rise up with wings as eagles, they shall walk and not be weary they shall they shall run and not feint, - teach me Lord to WAIT. In the NIV it says ‘they that hope in the Lord’ - Living Bible ‘Trust’ I prefer the AV and the RSV. Even the modern translation, the Message and the Orthodox Jewish bible say ‘Wait’.
The disciples were told to wait until God gave them the power to engage in the next stage in their ministry, the next stage in His mission to redeem the world.
Waiting - we all hate waiting wether it be at the traffic lights or in a queue at the Supermarkets. All of a suddenly time is precious - there are other things that we need to do things that we would rather do that just stand around waiting.
We get impatient - even in Church matters - we start to do things, organise things that we think will build the church - often they turn out to be more secular than spiritual - when what we should be doing is spending time seeking to know what God wants us to do to build HIS Church.
What did Jesus say to His open disciples when they were fishing - Cast your net on the right side - in other words, stop doing it your way and start to do it my way.
I said on Wednesday night that one of the songs Frank Sinatra’s songs was ‘I did it My way’ - a rather proud song that boasts of living a life your own way. He also sang ‘Im gonna live til I die’ with a line that says ‘I’ll be a devil, ‘til I’m an angel - Hallelujah’ A devil ‘til I’m an angel praise the Lord? What planet is he on?
When Bergitta Edstrom a Swedish singing evangelist came to this country she used to sing the same song but changed the word to ‘I did it HIS Way’ a song that redirects the way she lived her life to give honour and praise to God.
When the disciples did it ‘His way’ - they succeeded in catching the fish. We talked about that on Wednesday night how not just in peoples personal lives do they strive through life doing their own thing - their way - but people in churches up and down the country still carry on doing their own thing ‘ we’ve always done it this way’ It worked in the past’ The only way the church will grow is when His people seek His direction and do it His way. It’s time for the church to WAIT upon the Lord.
Jesus had said ‘I will make you fishers of men’ and the only way He could do that was if they were obediant to him and started to do things - even familiar things - His way. That way He would build His church.
In Acts we read how the church following Pentecost became a together people, eagerly desiring to meet together at every opportunity around His word to share their testimonies and grow. That can only be done when His people Stop what they are doing and are still before Him, WAIT upon Him by seeking His direction in prayer.
When credit cards were first introduced to this country one of the first was Midland bank who introduced the Access card who’s slogan was ‘Access takes the waiting out of wanting’ - that’s true in a spiritual sense -accessing God in prayer is the only way to take the waiting out of wanting.
I believe that when Jesus said wait in Jerusalem - they would spend that time in prayer - seeking His will for their lives

Our last light is Green for GO. When the green light comes on we are off - that’s what would happen to the disciples at Pentecost 50 days after Jesus rose from the grave.

We will be looking at what happened then in more detail on 24th May, just three weeks time as we meet together for Pentecost. The time when the fulfilment of Jesus’s promise to His disciples. He told them He had to go physically so that He could come back spiritually and live within each one of them by the power of the Holy Spirit and empower them from within to continue the work He’d begun in them. To equip, empower, energies and enable them to become fishers of men.

In Acts 2 we read how the Holy Spirit influenced them how to do Church -His way- all they had to do was bring people together to love God and love one another, to be obedient to God and live in harmony with Man and God and He would add people to their Fellowship - it’s not by might, strength of numbers - but by My Spirit - that will bring the Kingdom in and grow Kingdom people into maturity through Christ.
I wonder what colour the traffic light thats flashing in your mind right now.
Maybe it’s RED and God is saying to you this morning STOP - stop doing the things you shouldn’t. Stop doing your own thing and seek His direction - to cast your net on the right side - It might mean you’ve to stop and reflect over where you are now in your spiritual journey - in your relationship with God - does He take priority in your life. Perhaps He ‘s saying to you STOP - ‘Be still and know that I am God’
Stop and Ask yourself - am I where God wants me to be?
Maybe it’s AMBER and God is calling you to WAIT upon Him so that He can renew your strength and give you the power to rise up with wings as eagles, to walk the Christian life and not be weary, To run the race that is set before you?
Maybe it’s the GREEN light that’s calling you to GO in His strength and become fishers of men and accomplish all that He has in mind for you to do?
I believe that God has blessed this fellowship over the last 20 years and has so much in store for us to do in the days that lie ahead. All we are required to do is STOP and reflect over our calling, WAIT upon the Lord, seek His ways, be obedient to Him and be ready when He says GO.
Our last song reminds us that those who walk with God who wait upon Him in prayer,follows in His footsteps and seeks to live their lives in obedience to His will.Note; following the meeting, one of the congregation gave me two magnetic bible strips that he had been led to bring from home before he's set off for the meeting. On them were printed the very texts that we had been led to look at during the message. 'They that wait upon the Lord' and 'Be still and know that I am God'. Confirmation that we had indeed shared the message that God wanted us to hear. Thank you Father.

25 April 2015 ‘Back to the Future’
Since Easter Day when we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus we have been reading the accounts of His appearances to His beloved disciples and how Jesus wanted them to be the first to know that He had risen just like He had said He would.
We looked at the way Mary, Peter and John went to the tomb on that first Easter morning to find He wasn’t there - how Peter and John ran back to tell the other disciples, how Mary stayed and saw the risen Lord Jesus. She too ran with haste back to confirm that she had SEEN what the others had only HEARD about.
Last week we were reminded about the two friends of Jesus who, walking back to Emmaus encountered Jesus in the form of a stranger who drew alongside them and talked about the happenings in Jerusalem. Eventually, like Mary, who thought she was talking to the gardener, they realised that the stranger was none other than Jesus.
We shared how one of the great ways Jesus made Himself known to them and opened their minds to accept that He was really the Messiah that had been promised throughout the ages was in the way He saw it necessary to share the scriptures with them. As He did this, their minds were opened, their hearts were stirred as the truth slowly burned it’s way into their hearts and minds that Jesus really was with them.
They too ran back to the other disciples to tell them the good news. Their would be a buzz, of excitement as they shared their experiences.
I love these accounts of the appearances of Jesus after the resurrection. He wants them to have no doubts that He is alive and well and was going to reveal to them the next stage in the Master plan for Salvation of the World and the staggering fact that they would have a big part to play in that.
We looked at how Thomas wasn’t their when Jesus first appeared and he said ‘unless I see for myself - I won’t believe‘. A week later He saw and believed. This morning we look at the time the disciples went back to their old familiar way of life to go fishing.
One of the main concerns of Jesus is the way the disciples would be feeling after the events of the last few days. I believe that what we are about to read shows that Jesus was particularly concerned about those disciples who didn’t quite match up to what He would have expected from them.
Peter - who would have believed it? - Peter had denied even knowing or being with Jesus. Imagine how he would have been feeling now - He would need to be forgiven- to feel loved and wanted. He’d let Jesus down and it would hurt.
Jesus came to Peter and the rest of the disciples in a way that would remind them of the time that when He first called them to follow Him - to become His disciples.
The final chapter of Luke closes with the appearance of Jesus to the disciples when the two who had come back from their Emmaus experience to share it with the disciples and then ends with the ascension that occurred some 40 days later.John 21; 1-14 Afterwards Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. ‘I’m going out to fish,’ Simon Peter told them, and they said, ‘We’ll go with you.’ So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realise that it was Jesus. He called out to them, ‘Friends, haven’t you any fish?’ ‘No,’ they answered. He said, ‘Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.’ When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, ‘It is the Lord,’ he wrapped his outer garment round him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred metres.
When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them, ‘Bring some of the fish you have just caught.’ So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ None of the disciples dared ask him, ‘Who are you?’ They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.I believe that what we are reading this morning about how Jesus took His disciples right back to the time when He first called them to leave their nets and follow Him is not just Gods way of reminding the Disciples of their calling but to help us to take a step back and look at our own lives over the last few years and reflect on our calling.
When Jesus first called them, three years ago, to leave their nets and follow Him with the promise that He would make them fishers of men - they had been fishing.
They had fished all night and caught nothing - They saw Jesus standing on the shore asking them if they had caught anything - ‘No’ they had answered ‘Throw you nets on the other side’ Jesus called - They did and the catch was great. They came ashore and Jesus shared how He would make them fishers of men if they were prepared to follow Him - which they did.
Now, three years later the same has happened - they had caught nothing and once again, there was Jesus standing on the shore instructing them to cast their nets on the other side - they did and caught a vast number of fish - just as they had those three years earlier.
It was only then that John realised who it was and told Peter ‘It’s the Lord to which Peter responded by stepping out of the boat and jumping straight into the water. He couldn’t wait to get to Jesus - The others stayed in the boat towing the full nets to shore but Peter - he desperately needed to get to Jesus.
Lets read what happened when they brought the fish on shore and went to share some of it in a meal with Jesus.John 21; 15-17 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’‘Yes, Lord,’ he said, ‘you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my lambs.’
Again Jesus said, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He answered, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. ’Jesus said, ‘Take care of my sheep.’
The third time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ He said, ‘Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you. ’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep.WOW I bet Peters heart raced - I bet Peter wept with joy knowing that no matter how badly He had let Jesus down in his life, Jesus still loved Him and had great plans for the future. Three denials - all forgiven - and confirmed with a command to ‘ feed My sheep, in other words, build His Church.
Who would have thought that Jesus would confer such an honour on a man who had let Him down so badly when He needed him the most. Three denials - even to the point of Peter saying ‘I don’t even know the man’. Three chances of forgiveness and of not just being reinstated as a disciple but being commissioned to go and build His Church.
To feed His lambs - tend to the young, the new in the faith.
To take care of the sheep, the older ones in the faith and feed them
This is a truly pastoral ministry of building His church from the young to the old by feeding them with the wordI can’t stress enough what I believe God is saying to His church today about the importance of feeding on His word - of sharing around the scriptures, of getting to grips with what He is saying to us today. That’s why He opened the disciples minds with the scripture both on the Emmaus Road and in the room where they all, were later. Also the need for Gods people to be a together people as they were as they shared the meal following the last appearance of Jesus before the ascension. I believe that the disciples went through the same feelings that many people have today. Doubts that lead to disbelief - they will only accept things they can see with their own eyes. There are Christians who when faced with difficulties in their lives begin to doubt even to the point of denying what they first believed and felt called to.I believe that this incident in the appearances of Jesus to His disciples, those He had called to Himself, are there to direct us to look at our own calling - the time that you first felt the call of Him to come and be His disciple - to follow Him.
For some it may have been as a young person and when we look at where we are today it helps us to see that maybe we haven’t grown and developed in the faith as much as we could have and should have. Maybe. Like Peter. We’ve let Jesus down and not held dear to the promises we made all those years ago.
The disciples felt the call of Jesus and were willing to leave their nets and follow Him - to put Him first in their lives and build their lives around the Christian gospel .
I wonder what’s happened in your life since you felt the call - the time you knelt at the mercy seat - or stood as an adherent and made your promises to Him.
Maybe its time for an action replay a time, a time to think back and reflect on your journey - maybe a time to face up to the truth and take the invitation of Jesus to come back to be the person He intends you to be and the person you promised Him you would become. A time to ask for and to receive forgiveness for the times when, like Peter, you have let Him down.
A few years ago their was a film called ‘Back to the Future’. It told a story of a young man able to travel back in time and try to put things right that if he did, would effect the future, the present age that he would eventually come back to. He went back into the past to put things right so that he could then live to the full in the future.
That’s what Jesus is doing here - taking His followers back to that time He first called them so that they could put right the mistakes they had made that would then affect the future that they still had to live. Collectively with the disciples and individually with Peter.
Maybe this morning is your time to get back to reaffirm the promises you made years ago and step ‘Back to the future’ with a new determination to live it for the Lord.
Maybe this morning is the time when those who maybe have never felt the call of Jesus or if you have , you didn’t respond - maybe this morning is your calling time.
What a blessed time that would be if you accepted that call in your heart and were prepared to put the past behind you and step into the future He has awaiting for you.
I believe that God has a heart for this Corps - a heart for it’s people. A heart for you. What is your hearts desire?
God has blessed this Corps so much in the last 20 years with shows of His power in the awesome healings, in financial providing in a mighty way to extend the building to accommodate what I believe He wants to do here at Idle, to furnish His house to make it pleasing and homely for those who choose to gather here and provided for the upkeep of the building in a spectacular way.
God hasn’t done this without reason - God has provided the building - He set the scene and now He wants to build His church - spiritually. I believe that God wants to, renew, re-energised and re-instate His people, His Church to become the church He wants us to be - ready for what He is going to do in and through us in the future.
If you want to be a part of that then I urge you to get on board as we head back to the future

Sunday 19 April 2015Last week we read about the way Jesus drew alongside two of the disciples who were on their way to Emmaus following the crucifixion. It was the evening of the first day of the week - the same day that in the morning, Mary had gone to the tomb to pay her respects to the body of Jesus only to find that He wasn’t there. She had gone with Peter and John who, when they saw the empty tomb and heard the angel say He was risen, ran back to tell the other disciples. Mary stayed and saw the risen Lord for herself.
This morning we are going to look at what was taking place in the lives of the other disciples on that same evening when the two disciples met with the Lord on the Emmaus Road came back to rejoin them. Lets read first Lukes account following on from last week
Luke 24;33-49 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." :Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognised by them when he broke the bread. While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."
They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, ‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.’ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, ‘Do you have anything here to eat?’ They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.He said to them, ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you: everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.’ Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, ‘This is what is written: the Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.’Last week we said that to the world, 'seeing is believing', well what the disciples saw was still unbelievable in their minds - Luke tells us that - They were startled - afraid - thought it was a ghost - until Jesus said ‘touch Me’ - they would see the nail prints in His hands and feet - they touched Him and still found it hard to believe - so He had a meal with them - just as Ghosts don’t have flesh and blood, they also can’t eat. They would be left in no doubt that this was the risen Lord.
Then He did what He had done that morning on the road to Emmaus, He reminded them what Scripture had to say about the Messiah that He would suffer and rise from the dead. In fact there are 300 prophesies about the Messiah in the OT revealing where He will be born to how He would die.The prophet Zechariah speaks of the 30 pieces of silver Judas took when he betrayed Jesus, and which were later used to purchase a potter's field (Zechariah 11:12–13). Isaiah 53:7 says that Jesus would be silent before His accusers. The same chapter also tells of Jesus' burial place
The disciples should have been left in no doubt - Jesus was there - He loved them so much that He wanted them to know that He was alive and that He wanted them to continue the ministry He began and would empower them to do so.Now lets read about it from Johns viewpoint - John, the disciple who along with Peter had been with Mary at the tomb that very morning - seen the empty tomb - and run back to the other disciples.John 20; 19- On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you!
The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. I think that that could be an understatement and that their joy would be overwhelming. Here He was, their beloved Lord. So it was true, Peter, John and Mary were right, He really had 'risen' from the dead, and here He was to prove it.
Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. And so, here they were, all the disciples, well not quite 'all' the disciples, Thomas wasn't there, here they were, together, in hiding. The doors tightly shut, to keep the authorities out, frightened, terrified I guess, that they would be the next to be hauled off and killed, like Jesus was. The rumours will been flying round Jerusalem, that the body of Jesus had been mysteriously taken away and the disciples would have been prime suspects. The Jews would think it a good ploy on the part of these so called 'followers ' of Jesus, to support His claims that 'in three days, He would rise again'.
Jesus had told them at that last supper they shared, that 'in a little while you will see Me no longer, but then after a little while. you will see me. I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to Joy. Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again, and you will rejoice, and no-one will take away your Joy'.
Just like He said He would - Jesus came back to let them see the risen Lord - but Thomas wasn’t there - John 20; 24- 25 Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." At last, all the things that Jesus had told them before, were happening, just like He said they would. the pieces of the jigsaw were fitting into place, the light was beginning to dawn, they were seeing, and believing.
Thomas wasn't there with the other disciples when Jesus appeared. He probably thought that they were all 'off their rocker' when they told him they had seen the Lord. They were probably feeling the strain of the last few day's, after all, hiding in fear is forced to affect you some time! Of course they had wished that Jesus would come back, but to actually imagine it, well, he had more sense than that. 'Unless I see, unless I feel, unless I touch, I will not believe it!' Thomas said.John 20; 26-30 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."I love these accounts of the appearances of Jesus to His disciples after the resurrection. He leaves no stone unturned, no doubts in their minds, He is concerned that all His disciples know with real certainty that He is alive and well. That’s not all - Jesus is concerned about those disciples who didn’t quite match up to what He would have expected from them.
Peter - who would have believed it? - Peter had denied even knowing or being with Jesus. Imagine how he would have been feeling now - He would need to be forgiven- to feel loved and wanted. He’d let Jesus down by not been there for Him when needed.
I especially love the way in which Jesus came to Peter and the rest of the disciples - He did it in such a way that it would remind them of the time that Jesus first called them to follow Him and the reason why He had called them to Himself.In John 21 we have what I call ‘an action replay’. A rewind situation.
Peter had invited some of the other disciples to go fishing with him. They had been fishing when Jesus first called them to leave their nets and follow Him with the promise that He would make them fishers of men.
They went out, fished all night and caught nothing - exactly like they did three years earlier . The Jesus stood on the shore and asked them if they had caught anything - No they answered - exactly likethey had done three years earlier.
‘Throw you nets on the other side’ Jesus called - Justlike He’d done three years earlier.
They did and the catch was great. Just like it was those three years earlier.
It was only then that John realised who it was and told Peter ‘It’s the Lord to which Peter responded by stepping out of the boat and jumping straight into the water. He couldn’t wait to get top Jesus - The others stayed in the boat towing the full nets to shore.
Jesus was there on the sea shore - Just like He’d been those three years earlier.
He told them to cast their net on the other side - Just like He’d done before.
And as they hauled in a large catch of fish - just as they had done those three years ago - it couldn’t fail but to remind them of their calling - three years ago when He’d said that one day they would be ‘fishers of men’.
The outcome was that as they shared a meal with Jesus He gave Peter three chances to say sorry - that He loved Jesus - one for each of the three denials.

Maybe there are those here this morning who feel a bit like the disciples - perhaps your little world is in turmoil, shatters, everything seems hopeless - the present is terrible and the future seems to hold no hope - You need the Peace that only Jesus can give . You need to hear those first words Jesus shared with His disciples - When He said ‘My peace I give unto you. Maybe you need to receive it - take it - let it become your strength, your hope.Perhaps you have doubts - like Thomas your faith is not as strong as you would like. Jesus said to Thomas ‘You believe because you have seen - blessed are they who have not seen yet have believed. Faith is the substance of things hoped for things not yet seen and I believe that God is saying to us this morning - Have faith in Me, you aint seen nothing yet - trust Me.Maybe Jesus wants you to remember the time that you first felt the call of Him to come and be His disciple - to follow Him. - maybe as a young person and you’ve not grown and developed in the faith as much as you could and should.What’s happened since that time - the time you knelt at the mercy seat - the time you stood and made your promises to Him - maybe its time for an action replay a time to receive forgiveness for the times when, like Peter, you have let Him down.Easter has the full message of truth It contains all the elements needed for a strong and active faith in God. It’s there to increase our faith - to give us a hope.
Jesus lived to show us what God was really like and wants His creation back
Jesus showed the love of God by dying for our sins
Jesus offers new life for all - the chance of a spiritual rebirth - to be born again
Jesus wants us to know with real certainty that He rose again and lives on in the heart and soul of the believers.
Jesus wants us to be in no doubt - He wants to increase our faith that reaches way out into the unknown, the unbelievable- the improssible and makes it Known, Believable and Possible.
Jesus wants to offer His forgiveness for mans waywardness, backsliding just like He did with Peter
Jesus wants to live on in you and me to continue the work He beganWhat is your response? Lets respond as we sing ‘Lord I come to YouSunday 12 April 2015Luke 24; 13 The familiar story of the journey, of two followers of Jesus who, for a brief time, had walked with Him, now but here we find them dissilusioned, probably feeling let down, walking away from the situation and getting back to their old way of life.Like the song ‘When you walk through a storm’ their dreams had been ‘tossed and blown’. ‘They’d hoped that He was the one who was going to redeem Israel’ Walk on, walk on? - they were certainly doing that - but away from it all - They had walked with Jesus ‘with hope in your heart’ they’d thought that Jesus was the one and that from then on ‘they’d never walk alone’. I guess if we were honest we’ve all been there - as soon as things start to go wrong in our daily walk with the Lord, doubts and uncertainties start to creep in - the why is this happening and to me - what have I done! It’s so easy to get down hearted and walk away. perhaps that’s’ what they were doing - getting away from it all - As they walked to Emmaus, they reasoned through the events of the last few days together. Why? Why? Why’ A stranger joins them, it was Jesus, but His identity was kept from them, for the moment anyway. He asked them what they were talking about ‘Havn’t you heard?’ we’re talking about Jesus of Nazareth, the prophet who the Chief priests and rulers silenced, by putting Him to death’. ‘We’d hoped that He was the Messiah, the one who would redeem Israel. - What’s more, its now the third day since all this took place - and they can’t even find His body’.

They knew all the prophesies concerning the Messiah, they knew that Jesus himself had said that He would rise on the third day ‘Some of our women folk said they had seen an angel who said that He was alive - but when our companions went to the tomb, He wasn’t there’.

In the song ‘Because He lives’ there is a line that says ‘An empty grave is there to prove my Saviour lives’ but that’s not actually true. Just because you can’t find the body it doesn’t mean to say that the dead person has come back to life again.Thankfully we have the whole story - the aftermath - the proof that Jesus arose and lives. He had to appear to those He loved to proof my Saviour lives. An empty tomb by itself was not enough - they had to see Jesus.Like Peter and James, who only saw an empty tomb, the men on their way to Emmaus were disilussioned, their hopes had been dashed. Although the women had come back to say the tomb was empty and Mary said she had actually seen Jesus, they failed to believe because they hadn’t seen Him with their own eyes. Their faith was in pieces. People who had walked and talked with Jesus, heard His prophecies, saw His miracles, listenned to His sermons - were now going back to their old way of life. Getting on with their lives - the only thing that stopped them was when He appeared to them in person.Jesus then began to remind them from scripture of all the prophesies about Himself. He called them ‘slow of heart’ to believe. They knew the teachings of Jesus, they knew what He had said to them before He died, but it failed to register in their hearts.

Years later Paul wrote to the Church in Rome ‘if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.’ Romans 10; 9,10Paul didn’t say ‘believe it in your head - that’s almost impossible - but believe it in your hearts. For it is with your heart that you believe, and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.’ that’s why when the penny finally dropped who this stranger was, that their ‘hearts burned’ within them. When Paul talked about being transformed by the renewing of your minds - that’s exactly what he meant - don’t rely on your intellect, your knowledge, what your brain tells you about God and His Kingdom - God is outside our human understanding - that’s why He is God.The WORLD says that TO BELIEVE you need to SEE - SEEING IS BELIEVING.The WORD OF GOD teaches that you will only begin to SEE when you are prepared to BELIEVE. It takes faith - BELIEVING IS SEEINGAs we take that first step from disbelief to belief, from unbelief to faith then God begins to open our eyes so that we begin to see in our hearts what our intelect - our brains would never be able to conceive. Faith proves that Believing is seeing.

To believe only what you see is to deny faith. That's why John Ortberg wrote the book ' 'If you want to walk on water youv’e got to get out of the boat!

In the natural world if it doesn’t stand to reason then it can’t possibly be so. In the ‘Kingdom’ world the unreasonable, the impossible reigns supreme. All things are possible to those who believe..
Who in his mind would ever conceive that God would leave the splendour of Glory and in Jesus become a man to share our humanity. It doesn’t make sense, it doesn’t stand to reason
Who in his right mind would ever conceive that Jesus would be willing to give His own pure unspotted life in exchange for my sinful one. It doesn’t make sense, it doesn’t stand to reason
Who would go through agony nailed hand and feet to a cruel cross for an ungrateful world of sinners -It doesn’t make sense, it doesn’t stand to reason - it just doesn’t add up. That is - not to the world - not to reason - not to logic. Yet Gods word tells us that ‘While we were still sinners, Christ died for us’

It takes Kingdom faith to make the improbable a reality.
God came to earth so that He could show us what He was really like and dispel the myths the lies that man had invented to discredit God.
Jesus was willing to give His life for us because He loved us - Love was the reason
Jesus endured the pain and the cross for the joy that was set before Him - the joy of sharing eternity with the ransomed the redeemed - those He came to save.
Jesus shared our humanity so that one day we could share His divininity.In Kingdom terms - love is the reason. Gods love for you and meNo! things don’t always add up, things don’t always make sense when we try to reason things out with our limited intelect - they only begin to make sense when we are prepared give faith a chance. That’s what the disciples had to learn for themselves Thats when Believing is seeing I am often envious of the children who have no problem in believing in what our learned older minds tell us in impossible. impossible. As we grow older and our minds begin to click in to sense and reason we begin to loose that ability. Sadly what growing up intellectually does is squeeze out any capacity to exercise faith and state that if it can’t be proven scientifically then it can’t be. Thats the logic of the athiest - the man who denies God. Jesus said ‘If you don’t change and become like little children - you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven’. Matthew 18:2To the man in the street at that time - Jesus was dead and gone. Crucified dead and Buried. - that was surely the end. But it wasn’t. Jesus rose from the dead and showed Himself to the women, to the disciples - to hundreds of His followers. It wasn’t just an empty grave - it was the fact that He appeared to so many. They saw and believed. The jigsaw puzzle of the last few weeks began to take shape and the true picture of what really happenned began to dawn. Jesus had told them what would happen - they had seen the box lid - all they needed to do was join the pieces of the jigsaw together to see the bigger picture. When you start to do a jigsaw puzzle, what do you do? you start by getting the straight edges together and they form the framwork that enables you to put the whole picture together. It’s hard at first, but it gets easier as the picture begins to take shape. Thats why, beginning with Moses and ALL the prophets, Jesus started creating the framework that would make way for the completed picture, Jesus, to be revealedWhat excites me about our bible reading this morning is this - that even though on the surface, these men were having a tough time - their little world had collapsed around them - their hopes and dreams dashed - what is great is that Jesus was there with them all the time. He walked alongside them until they came into truth.In the down times of life - He is still there. ‘Standing somewhere in the shadows of life, you will find Him - and you’ll know Him by the nail prints in His hands’. As they walked - He drew near- as they talked with Him, their hearts began to warm - beat faster- as gradually He revealed Himself to them.God is our refuge and strength a very present help in times of trouble - even though your world collapses all round you - take heart - He is with us and will never leave us or forsake us.Many of us, as we look back we can see the way in which much if not all of our lives, Jesus has been there, influencing our decisions to bring us to a point of recognising Him as Lord. He has been with us for much of our journeying through life without us even realising it.For the moment, the ‘eyes’ of these two men were kept from ‘seeing’ Jesus.He wanted them to know His word. He wanted their expectations to be fired up. He wanted them to hunger after more. He wanted them to realise for themselves the truth. No forced conversion. After bringing revealing the truth to them, He wanted them to come into a free acceptance of Salvation.Having worked on them, the time came when He was going to ‘open their eyes’ and let them see Him in all His glory.It was when He sat at the table with them, took bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to them. At that point, their eyes were opened, they recognised Him and woosh! He dissapeared from their sight.WOW! They had been with Jesus. They testified, that as He talked with them, as He had made known to them the scriptures, their hearts had been on fire. They rushed back to Jerusalem, joined the other disciples and confirmed that Yes it was true The Lord has arisen’. Even as they talked, Jesus appeared among them again.There may be those here this morning who perhaps feel that Jesus is far away. Don’t you believe it. That’s what the devil wants you to believe, and perhaps your dissilusionment is part of the problem. Your going through the mill, maybe thinking God doesn’t care. The dilemma is that the time when you need Him the most, is so often the time you deny His presence. I can testify that there are times in my life when I cry out to God ‘Where are you Lord’ ‘I’m hurting . Looking back, I can see that He was always there, seeing me through. Maybe that’s the time you should be crying out to God, Lord I know You’re there, I can’t cope, I need You. The Christian walk is about knowing His presence with us every step of the way. When we realise that, then He comes to live within us and through us, draws alongside others, our friends, our work colleagues, our family, our neighbours, and through us, making Himself known.You ask me how I know He lives - He lives within MY Heart. What a privilage that is. As John Ortberg states ‘God is closer than you think’ This morning Jesus wants you to know Him in your heartThis morning Jesus wants to reach others through your life.Jesus wants to walk with you and live through youJesus wants you to Believe in your heart, so that He can begin to open the eyes of your heart to see Him in all His Glory.Song How wonderful it is to walk with GodEaster Sunday Morning 2015 On the Easter just before he died, Dr William Sangster painfully printed a short note to his daughter. A deeply spiritual Methodist, he had been spearheading a renewal movement in the British Isles after World War II. Then his ministry, except for prayer, was ended by a disease which progressively paralyzed his body, even his vocal chords. But the last Resurrection Sunday he spent on earth, still able to move his fingers, he wrote: "How terrible to wake up on Easter and have no voice to shout, 'He is risen!' Far worse, to have a voice and not want to shout."
We then sang ‘Christ the Lord is risen today’ and prayedEaster - the most important week in the Christian Calendar.What a special week this has been for us here at Idle. From Palm Sunday last week when we celebrated Christ’s entry into Jerusalem and took home our Palm Crosses to Wednesday night when a few of us came to look at How the Jews would have celebrated the Passover and then gathered around the Lord’s table to share the Last Supper as instructed by our Lord.
Friday was a really blessed day when we met around the cross of Jesus and thought how those who gathered at the cross 2000 years ago would have been feeling and how Jesus would feel as he looked down with love and compassion on His beloved friends.
The ones who had stood by Him as well as the ones who had betrayed Him and denied they even knew Him like Peter. In the closing moments of the meeting, no one moved, we just sat there for quite a while in the stillness, unhurried reflecting on how we thought Jesus would be looking at us as individuals . We then took the opportunity to ask forgiveness and re-dedicate our lives to Him.
After sharing lunch together we went to Otley to stand around the cross erected there and sing a ’When I survey the wondrous Cross’ followed by a prayer. Unlike the day before, the sky was dark and overcast - the view of Otley and the surrounded area was hidden in thick cloud and in the bleakness the cross stood as a stark reminder of the sacrifice of Jesus and how He had put His life aside that week and gave Himself on the cross to save mankind.
It was especially good to share the Good Friday with three of our friends from the Gaither evenings. Olga, Irene and Kathy and then as we gathered around the cross to be able to invite four complete strangers to sing and pray with us.
If this is your first meeting this Easter, you’ve missed out on so much. To fully appreciate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead it is necessary to, experience the cross. This last week has been very special to me and I think many of us.
Here we are this morning to celebrate the wonderful resurrection of our Lord and sing these glorious triumphant songs.
As we looked out over Otley, covered by a foggy mist that hovered over the ground. It reminded me of a story I told you about a couple of years ago. It was during the Battle of Waterloo.
The story goes that the people of London were waiting anxiously for news of the outcome of the battle. No telephones then, only semaphore signals. From the top of Winchester Cathedral the people saw and read the message as it was relayed. They strained to see as blankets of fog came over the country.’ Wellington defeated’ they read and then the fog veiled the signal.
The people of London were in deep despair at the thought of their great general being defeated. All seemed lost. Then the blanket of fog lifted and once again the message was relayed. Again they read ‘Wellington defeated’ - but this time, because the fog had disappeared they could read the whole of the message which read ‘Wellington defeated the enemy’ Gloom changed to Glory, despair to delight, tragedy had become triumph.
I guess that for most of the people who gathered around the cross of Jesus 2000 years ago, all they would see was death and defeat, the message would have been ‘Jesus Christ defeated’ but a couple of days later, their despair would be changed to Glory as the fog lifted and the glorious message relayed like wildfire from the women at the tomb and the disciples as they too saw the risen Lord would change to ‘He is risen’ Jesus Christ has defeated the enemy’. From ‘victim’ to ‘victor’
Did you know that when Winston Churchill arranged his own funeral which was held in St. Paul's Cathedral - at the end of the service, Churchill had planned an unusual surprise . When they had said the benediction, a bugler high in the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral on one side played the usual bugle call to signal that the day was over. Then there was a long pause after which to everyone’s amazement a bugler on the other side played the Reveille, the military wake-up call. It was Churchill's way of communicating that, while we say "Good night" here, it's "Good morning" up there.
Why did he do that? Because Churchill believed in Jesus Christ, who said "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me though he were dead, yet shall he live."
The gospel writers go to great lengths to help us to 'see' the truth for ourselves. Some of them, were 'Eyewitnesses' to the fact that Jesus lived, died and rose again. they 'saw and believed' in order that we might 'Believe and see' for ourselves.We then sang ‘Up from the grave He arose’ and read John 20; 1-19Message Imagine the shock of the women who on visiting the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus saw that the stone had been rolled away and when they entered they couldn’t find the body. ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead’.
It reminded me of Isaiah’s vision when he says ‘In the year that King Ussiah died, I saw the Lord’. In other words whilst others were following the funeral procession, Isaiah followed the living, Risen Glorious Lord - for he was High and lifted up and His train filled the temple’. This morning we celebrate the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.. After a week like we’ve shared here at Idle, getting into the shoes of the disciples, this day takes on a whole new significance.Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. Mary was devoted to her Lord, after all He had healed her, set her free from the demons that possessed her, and delivered her. She had found healing, love and acceptance from Jesus. Unlike most of the other friends and followers of Jesus, Mary was one of the few who stayed with Him at the cross, until the end. Until it would seem that all hope was gone. She had seen her Lord die, but she had also seen Him do many mighty miracles.
It was very early in the morning, while it is still dark, when Mary this woman with a very dark and sinful past came to the place where late last night, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus had laid the body of her Lord. You can imagine the bewilderment that Mary must have felt when she found that not only had the stone been moved, but the tomb itself was empty. The first thing that she did was to run and tell His closest friends, John and Peter. 'They have taken the Lord out of the tomb' she cried, ' and I don't know where they have laid Him'.
Where Mary's reaction at the empty tomb was probably shock, John and Peter would be disbelief. They still hadn't realised what Jesus had tried to tell them at that last supper they had shared with Him. " I will be with only a little longer. Then you will look for me. I am going away, but I will come back to you. I am telling you this now, before it happens, so that when it does. you will believe".
Peter would remember how Jesus had said that in the next few day's, he would deny even being with Jesus and would desert his Lord. He would have found it hard to accept that his Lord could think he was capable of such a thing. Yet Jesus was right, Peter had let his friend down, and I would imagine he felt very ashamed of himself.
As Peter and John ran with much haste to the tomb, I wonder if the words of Jesus at that last supper had started to ring some bells. I can well imagine the thoughts that Peter would have had, knowing that not only had he denied even knowing Jesus.
He had deserted his Lord at the first sign of danger, and let Him die on the cross alone. As Peter and John ran to the tomb, their hearts would want to get there, but their minds would somehow hold them back.
John arrived first, he could see the bandages that had been wrapped around Jesus's body, but he didn't go in. Peter almost pushed him aside in his rush to get in the tomb . he saw the bandages also and the cloth used to bury Jesus, all neatly folded, not the work of someone trying to get away in a hurry. John pushed past, saw the evidence and scripture tells us 'he believed'How do you approach the empty tomb this morning? Mary just couldn't wait to go and tend to the needs of the Lord she loved. She felt indebted to Him, for what He had done for her, in giving her new life. Life that now had real purpose, a life of hope where before there was only despair. Peter on the other hand would want to believe, but probably held back by his shame.
What are your feelings, what are your hopes as you come together to worship the risen Lord. Perhaps you share some of the feelings that Mary had, of gratitude for what the Lord has and is doing in your life. A time when you want to rejoice in the victory over sin that Jesus showed was possible.
Maybe you have come sharing the same mixed feelings that Peter must have had, that if Jesus really did rise from the dead, exactly as He said He would do, then all the other claims He made must be true also. If they are, then perhaps you should respond differently to the way you do?
Perhaps, like Peter, you feel that you have let Him down, denied Him in the way in which you have chosen to live your life. Perhaps you've held back from making any kind of commitment to Him. Sometimes our hearts tell us that we ought to think seriously about our lifestyle, and yet our minds put all kinds of excuses why we shouldn't.
John saw He wasn’t there and the penny dropped about what Jesus meant when He told them that He would come back to them. Peter saw the empty tomb and was probably filled with fear and guilt for the way He had let Jesus down by denying that he even knew Jesus. They both ran back home..
Mary - she stayed and as she knelt there, saw two angels, who asked her why she was crying. "because they have taken my Lord away, and I don't know where they have put Him". Then she turned round and saw a man standing by her side. "Woman, why do you weep, who are you looking for?"
She thought he was the gardener, and asked him where he had put the body of her Lord. Jesus turned to her and gently said, "Mary" she turned and instantly recognised Him.
In her deepest need, she found Jesus who came to her when in utter desperation she cried out for Him.
Maybe you feel like crying out to God, "where are you Lord?." There are times in our lives when He can seem so far away, when really He is right there beside us, sharing our pain, feeling our sorrow. It is at such times we need to reach out to Him, and realise His presence.
Where the other two disciples had returned to there homes, perhaps to let the truth sink in before seeing the other disciples, Mary couldn't wait, and we are told that she went to tell them what she had found, the risen Lord.
I pray that that will be our testimony this morning that we know that Jesus Christ is risen indeed from the dead. That if we claim to serve a risen Saviour - the Living Lord - we need to start to put Him first in our lives
If you don't, then you have missed the whole point of Easter.
Paul, years later, writing to the church at Rome said this Romans 5; 6-11 When we were utterly helpless, with no way of escape, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners who had no use for him. Even if we were good, we really wouldn't expect anyone to die for us, though, of course, that might be barely possible. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since by his blood he did all this for us as sinners, how much more will he do for us now that he has declared us not guilty? Now he will save us from all of God's wrath to come. And since, when we were his enemies, we were brought back to God by the death of his Son, what blessings he must have for us now that we are his friends and he is living within us!
Now we rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God - all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done in dying for our sins - making us friends of God.Jesus said; Greater Love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends - you are my friends if you do whatsoever I command you
In his book Written in Blood, Robert Coleman tells the story of a little boy whose sister needed a blood transfusion. The doctor had explained that she had the same disease the boy had recovered from two years earlier. Her only chance for recovery was a transfusion from someone who had previously conquered the disease. Since the two children had the same rare blood type, the boy was the ideal donor.
"Would you give your blood to Mary?" the doctor asked. Johnny hesitated. His lower lip started to tremble. Then he smiled and said, "Sure, for my sister."
Soon the two children were wheeled into the hospital room--Mary, pale and thin; Johnny, robust and healthy. Neither spoke, but when their met, Johnny grinned. As the nurse inserted the needle into his arm, Johnny's smile faded. He watched the blood flow through the tube.
With the ordeal almost over, his voice slightly shaky, broke the silence. "Doctor, when do I die?" Only then did the doctor realize why Johnny had hesitated, why his lip had trembled when he'd agreed to donate his blood. He'd thought giving his blood to his sister meant giving up his life. In that brief moment, he'd made his great decision. What a lovely little boy - prepared to give his life for the sake of his sister.
Thankfully, Johnny didn't have to die to save his sister. But Jesus did -Greater love hath no man than this - that He would give His life for His friends - you and me. The problem with man today is that he has a condition that is more serious than Mary's, it’s called sin and it was that that required Jesus to give not just his blood, but his life.
The great news is that He died to give us life - real life - abundant life and the certain hope of eternal life in Heaven with Him for ever. That’s why all over the world, people like you and I have gathered to give Him the Glory and thank Him for His great love to us. He is risen - hallelujah.We closed with the great Hymn ‘Thine be the Glory’Good Friday Morning 2015If there was ever one day of the year that I hated as a young lad, it's was Good Friday. knowing that Jesus was ridiculed, humiliated and tortured and then faced the agony of being nailed to a cross, because of the sinfulness of mankind. It's so unfair.
Even more when I realised that Jesus died for MY sins. 'There was no other good enough to pay the price of sin. He only, could unlock the gate of heaven and let us in'. Jesus Christ by His death on the cross, paid for the sins of the whole world.
Crucifixion was such a cruel way to die. It was a Roman form of execution where the victim was forced to carry his own cross along the busy main road to the place of execution, where they were then nailed to that cross.
Death came by suffocation when the weight of the body made breathing difficult and the victim died a painful and hideous death. And Jesus went through all that - for me! What a sacrifice! "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends, you are My friends if you do whatsoever I command you' said Jesus.That's the extent of our Fathers love, that He was prepared to give His son as payment for my sins. "God so loved' all of us, that He gave', freely, 'His only begotten Son', Jesus, 'that whosoever will might be saved'. That's sacrificial love, that's our Fathers love for you and me. That kind of sacrifice, deserves a response from all of us! And that's where I come to every Good Friday.Song How deep the father love for usLet us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who, for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12; 2Prayer Turn your eyes upon JesusSong The servant KingJohn 19; 16 - 24 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). Here they crucified him, and with him two others - one on each side and Jesus in the middle. Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek.
The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, "Do not write `The King of the Jews', but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews." Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written."
When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. "Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it."
Last year you may remember, I told you about an American army captain in the Vietnam War who was dropped with his men into the jungle. It didn't take him long to realise that they were caught in the middle of an ambush.
Recalling his men back to a clearing, he became aware that they were one man short. The helicopter was about to lift him and his men off, when he decided he couldn't leave without this man, so he went back for the soldier who was by this time, crawling towards him. He had been shot in the leg.
Dragging him to the helicopter, the captain helped him on board. But, at the last moment, as he was climbing on board himself, a burst of gunfire from the trees cut him down where he stood. The helicopter left him, dead in the clearing.
Back in America after the war, the captain's parents decided they would like to meet the young soldier who's life had been spared at the cost of their only son.
When he eventually turned up at their home for a meal, one hour late, the soldier shocked and offended the captain's parents with his rudeness and total lack of gratitude, or respect for their son. When he finally left, the captains mother fell to the floor. Heartbroken, she cried out to God. 'Why?, Why did my son have to die for someone like that? Why did he have to die for someone as rude and selfish as that?'
The mother of the American soldier, grieved over the apparent waste of her sons life, dying as he did for an ungrateful man. I wonder what thoughts went through the mind of Mary the mother of Jesus, when she saw what they were doing to her Son?
Imagine how God feels when He see the way in which man today, chooses to reject the fact that H gave His Son to die for them. Today, for many people, the only difference between Good Friday, and any other Friday, is that the some of the shops are shut. Man laughs in the face of God, and I believe that nothing grieves the heart of the Father more than the rejection of His Son, by those for whom His Son died. Song Above all
Bible Luke 22; 54 Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them.
A servant-girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, ‘This man was with him.’ But he denied it. ‘Woman, I don’t know him,’ he said. A little later someone else saw him and said, ‘You also are one of them.’‘Man, I am not!’ Peter replied. About an hour later another asserted, ‘Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.’Peter replied, ‘Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!’ Just as he was speaking, the cock crowed.
The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: ‘Before the cock crows today, you will disown me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly.
Message The all seeing eyes of God

Every Easter I cannot help but think of Peter - Jesus told him that he would deny even knowing Jesus - Peter couldn’t believe that and yet as we have read that’s exactly what happened . The verse that gets me every time is where it says that when Peter said to the woman ‘Woman I don’t know Him’ ’The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter’
The eyes of Jesus - how they must have penetrated into the very soul and heart of Peter when he remembered that Jesus had said he would deny Him.
There is a story about a general under the emperor Cyrus. While he was away, his wife was accused of treason and sentenced to die. The general returned before the sentence was carried out. He pleaded with Cyrus to let him die in his wife's place. Cyrus was touched. "Love like that must not be spoiled by death," Cyrus said. He pardoned the wife.
As they left the palace, the husband said, "Did you notice how kindly the king looked at us when he gave you a free pardon?" She said, "No. I had no eyes for the king. I saw only the man who was willing to die for me."
The eyes - that so often reveal the inner self. The eyes, the window to the soul
Last week we read how Jesus rode triumphantly into Jerusalem I wondered then how Jesus would look at the crowds that He knew were today but in a few days time would be shouting for His death.
Jesus would be able to see right to the very heart of the people - I wonder what He saw?
Every Easter I think about what would be going through the minds of those who stood around the cross as they watched Jesus die. Mary His mother - His friends. Peter and John - Martha, Mary, Lazarus - The other disciples
They would look on Him with very mixed and very different emotionsMary looking at the son she loved and had supported throughout His ministry probably thinking about how worried she was the time he had gone missing- yet nothing compared with how she is feeling now

Peter who as we read earlier had denied even being with Him I wonder if the thought passed through his mind of when Jesus lifted him from the sea when he was sinking following that walk on water towards his Lord John who loved Him dearly would probably think about the time Jesus called him to leave his nets and follow Him - he was so excited then that he ran to tell his brother JamesHis friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus - would hardly believe what was happening to their friend, who only a few days earlier had raised Lazarus from the dead and here He was dying in agony on a cruel cross.
I also imagine how Jesus would have seen them from the vantage point of the cross. Mary - his mother - knowing her pain - seeing her standing there helpless not able to love her, comfort her, His arms were outstretched but He couldn’t reach His motherJohn, dear John - even in His agony, Jesus thought of John and Mary when He made up the loss of a son to His mother by presenting her with John. Peter As Jesus looked at Peter, He knew that Peter was probably in turmoil for the way in which he had denied even knowing Him.
There would be no ‘I told you so’ but rather a compassionate Christ looking with love and mercy on his friend ‘Peter I know how your feeling - I only wish I could hold you in my arms and comfort you’ but one day soon - all will be forgiven. Mary- Martha -Lazarus - I wish you knew the whole story - in a few days I will rise just like Lazarus - if only you knew that OK it’s Friday but hey - Sundays coming!’
Last week I shared how in 2006 I was asked to do the funeral in Castleford. It was the funeral ofor a 32 year old young man called Richard who had committed Suicide
I looked at the people before me - There was his mother, his step father, his real father, his girlfriend, his other friends. How did they feel now - probably blaming themselves
What about the one who had relied heavily on him like the homeless Big Issue seller whom he had invited to share his home
I could see their pain, their anger, their disbelief that their friend was no longer with them. I could see their anguish and their regrets. I tried to see them as I believed Jesus would - through the understanding eyes of compassion.
As we gather round the cross this morning, I wonder what Jesus sees as he looks into your heart and mine. As you read the scriptures, it’s not hard to imagine what the eyes of the disciples and those who spent time with Jesus would look like
Wide open eyes when they saw Him turn water into wine at the wedding in Cana,
Eyes of almost disbelief when He made the blind see and the deaf hear,
Eyes of amazement as He used a packed lunch to feed 5 000 hungry mouths.
Eyes that would be rubbed in utter disbelief when He raised Lazarus from the dead
Sparkling eyes of almost unbelief as they witnessed the miraculous, the incredible, the unbelievable.
Jesus opened their eyes widely to see the Glory of God in their midst.
Paul writing to the fellowship in Corinth said this "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" - but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:9
He opened peoples eyes to see what Father God was really like as against the vague and sometimes ambiguous pen sketches that they had been given from the prophets.
I also believe that the gospel writers give us a very good picture of what Jesus was really like and that as we seek to know Him in His word, the Holy Spirit comes and makes alive the spirit of Jesus within us.
This morning I want us to turn our eyes upon Jesus and look into His eyesThe glad - encouraging - excited eyes of Jesus when He called His team together those three years ago knowing that He was calling them into an awesome ministry The Tearful eyes of Jesus as He thought of Lazarus and maybe even thought of this day -Friday- when the ones He loved would be stood around His tombThe Compassionate eyes of Jesus that we read of last week when He looked at the people in the world walking without purpose or directionThe Knowing Eyes of Jesus as He looked at the crowds as He rode into Jerusalemshouting their hosannas - ‘blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord’ - their lips formed the words, their vocal chords shouted them for everyone around to hear. Jesus would see through the lip service straight to the heart - the seat of truth and know what they were really thinking.The bloodshot eyes of Jesus as He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane The Sorrowful eyes of Jesus as He gazed on Judas when he betrayed HimThe Fearful eyes of Jesus as He looked at His persecutors and accusersThe Longing Eyes of Jesus as He looked down from the cross and saw His mother, and His friends
Isaiah says this when talking about the crucified Christ - We hid our faces from Him - we couldn’t bear to look - Why? because it was our sins that put Him there - we were too ashamed - we couldn’t bear to look
I pray that we might be able to look into the eyes of Jesus and tell Him that we love Him, that we will be faithful to him, that we will give our lives to him, that we are available to be used by Him.
Maybe its the time to put the wrong things that only you and He know about - put them right and make this Easter the turning point in your life.
In the closing moments of this mornings meeting we are going to sing a song of dedication and renewal - our request to God to make us a better people. I want you to reflect over two questions and answer them honestly from your heart
1 Am I living a life worthy of His death does my life glorify Him
2 What more can I do to share the love of Jesus with others what can I do in response to His great love for me.
Spend some time reflecting on these points - remember, scripture tells us that we are a Chosen people, a people belonging to God that we might declare the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His glorious light. Once you were a nobody but now - WOW you’re a child of God. A forgiven God indwelt child of God.
PrayerSong Lord I come to You let my heart be changed

Palm Sunday 2015 John 12; 9- 19
Jerusalem would be heaving with people who had gathered to celebrate the feast of the Passover. Passover was a time to remember and thank God for the deliverance of the Israelites from the bondage of slavery in Egypt. The festival took place on the evening before the 14th of Nissan, around the end of March.
The Passover celebrations, that only years before had been privately celebrated in Jewish homes as a family thanksgiving meal had now gone out onto the streets and become the biggest and most important of the 'pilgrim' festivals celebrated in Jerusalem. On that evening, every family sacrificed a lamb as a reminder of the time their forefathers had to sacrifice a lamb, and paint a cross above their doors with the blood of the lamb, as a sign to the angel of death, that God had spared their lives.
Jesus was staying with His friends, Lazarus, Mary and Martha. He loved them, they were His special friends and He was a guest in their home at Bethany. Word would soon spread that He was there, and people wanted to see Jesus ' this miracle worker'.
the man who everyone was talking about who had done the impossible in raising Lazarus, from the dead. Jesus had come a long way since turning the water into wine, and here He was raising someone from the dead.
You know what it's like when somebody famous is coming to town, everybody wants to catch a glimpse. They would have heard the exciting reports of the miraculous things that He had done. Giving sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, strength into lifeless limbs, healing the sick of all manner of diseases.
You can just hear them saying it 'While we're in Jerusalem, we'll have some time to spare, let's suss this man out, let's see if we can't catch a glimpse of Him. Some are saying that this could be the Messiah, the one that we are waiting for, who will release us from the oppression and bondage that we are in, and set us free.
Never in their wildest dreams could they imagine that this was the Son of God, the Messiah who had come to save them, the new 'sacrificial lamb whose blood would be spilt as a sign that they could be set free, and by His 'death', be offered 'new life'.
When they heard that He was coming into Jerusalem, they took palm branch and went out to meet Him. Many would see Him as their conquering hero, the one sent to lead them, to mobilise them into that mighty army that would quash the oppressor and set them free. I wonder what they thought when they saw Him coming towards them riding on a donkey.
"Hosanna!" they shouted, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord They applied to him the words of Ps 118: 25-26, a song sung by Passover pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem. These words ascribed to him a messianic title as the agent of the Lord, the coming king of Israel. Hosanna means 'O Lord save us now'
'Today, all over the country, men, women and children have gathered in many churches to celebrate 'Palm Sunday' all singing their Hosannas,
The crowd that greeted Jesus that day, was a friendly one, and as the folk nearest Jesus sang their Hosannas, the whole crowd would join in. 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, Blessed is the King of Israel' Crowds have great pulling power, we are an inquisitive people. When a group of people mass together, others strain to see what it's all about.
There was little else to do in Jerusalem at that time and so I guess they would come out in their hundreds to see Jesus. His fame had gone before Him, the word had got round, that this man Jesus had raised a man from the dead and that the man might be with Him. This they had to see!
It's a sad but true fact, that the crowds that on Palm Sunday sang 'Hosanna', would be shouting 'Crucify Him' the next day. Can't believe it can you? Yet it's so easy to get drawn in, and follow the crowd instinct, until we become a people who can't make their own decisions, for fear of upsetting our friends and mates.
All through our lives, we are in danger of adopting the 'crowd' mentality. As children, we are encouraged by our friends, to do things that we know we shouldn't, spurred on by others of our group. That first smoke, that first swearword, that makes you look 'big'. The temptation to get away with things, like not paying on the bus, little things that if we are not careful, programme us to be capable of doing much bigger things later on.
We've all done things that we're not particularly proud of, things we wish we hadn't done, things we wish we could put right. There are those in our society, who don't grow out of that childhood, gang mentality, and instead grow up to become the criminal element in our society.
I wonder what thoughts went through Jesus's mind as He rode into Jerusalem that day. He knew what the next few day's held in store for Him. He knew that those who sang their 'Hosannas today would tomorrow, be shouting 'Crucify Him'.
I can just imagine Him, looking with knowing eyes, at the crowd as they applauded His entry. I guess that tomorrow, when they shout their hated 'crucify Him', His eyes will burn into their hearts, as they cry out for His death. Yet there were those there who only a few days earlier had cried 'Hosanna'. The crowds were stirred up by the 'mob' leaders, the Chief Priests and the Elders. The leaders of the church no less.
When God looks at us, He see's right into our hearts. He see's the real you and me, the part of us that no one else knows exists. Away from the comfort of each other, we stand alone, before Him. I wonder if He is pleased with what He see'.
The 'Crowd' mentality is not exclusive to the world. It is possible to go along with the crowd in a spiritual sense. To never have made 'our own decision' but followed the leadings of others.
'We shall stand', we sing, 'with our feet on the Rock, whatever men may say we hold your name up high' That's so easy when we are all together, but when we are alone, how confident are we then ? I wonder if the individual members of the crowd would have been so brave and raised their hands towards Jesus acclaiming Him as their King in front of the Pharisees and the priests.
How brave are we, to stand up for Jesus, when we are away from the safety of our numbers, and alone with our unbelieving friends, or perhaps the scoffers of our society. Today, our Lord needs people who are prepared, and equipped to stand up and be counted. People who are sure of their relationship with their Lord. Men, women and children who are ready to speak for Him even when they are the 'lone voice'.
This week is Holy week, the days leading up to the greatest sacrifice of all time, when God out of love for His creation, was prepared to reach down from the highest to touch men's lives. He did this by allowing His son Jesus to be crucified for the sin's of the whole world.
That includes you and me, He died to give us new life, abundant life, life in all it's fullness. Jesus was prepared to stand on His own, without the comfort and support of His friends, and go alone to the cross - he deserves nothing less from us. " It's easy to wave a palm branch - It's not so easy to carry a cross "
Jesus’s friends, His disciples wouldn’t realise what Jesus was heading for - He knew that in a few days, He would be dragged away and hung on a cross for the sins of the world to offer forgiveness and new direction for the whosoever. Jesus wanted the world to know that God loved them and wanted His creation back. Jesus knew that there were people out there who needed to know that God loved them enough to sacrifice His Son on the cross to give them new life. People who were prepared to stand up for Him and leave the crowd mentality.
Nine years ago I shared a deeply moving incident in my life when I was called to do a funeral for a young man - 33, who had committed suicide. He lived in Castleford and his mother wanted the Salvation Army to do the funeral but all the officers in the division were at the Officers retreat, an annual event in Scarborough. This was March 2006 and the first year that Beryl and I couldn’t go because Beryls alzheimers was making it more difficult for her to cope in crowds.
It appears that the lad had got to the end of his tether and couldn’t cope with the pressures of life and the forces that were pulling at him.
As I always do when asked to do a funeral I went to see the family and they shared how the young man had been on drugs for 10 years right from school but then with the support of his girl friend, had been clean for the last two. Unfortunately during that time, his girl friend found it necessary to call a halt to their relationship and he turned to another girl who happened to be an alcoholic.
The young mans family shared how he was a good lad to be with. A loyal friend who wouldn’t hurt anyone. The weekend before he died, his mum and stepfather had gone off for the weekend without telling him. That weekend he must have been so down that he decided to end it all and that’s exactly what he did.
Imagine how his mother, step father, real dad, girlfriend and other friends felt.
Being a lad who cared for others, he had befriended a young homeless lad who had been selling the Big Issue in Leeds and afforded him the shelter of his flat. Imagine how that young lad must be feeling now that his friend was no longer with him.
His mother let me listen to a CD that she said he was always playing - a piece of music that he had said he wanted playing at his funeral. As I listenned I immediately sensed the anguish in the young mans mind. As the song went on you could feel that deep down He was crying out for help, he craved love and attention.
The lyrics of the song which I think was by Fray went something like this;
Where were you when everything was falling apart?
All my days were spent by the telephone that never rang
And all I needed was a call that never came
Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me
Lying on the floor surrounded, surrounded
Why'd you have to wait? Where were you? Where were you?
Just a little late, you found me, you found me
‘I rang you last night, the song said, but all I got was an answer phone when all I needed was you’ - I thought, How can anyone listen to this record and not be deeply affected - I was and even though I’d never met the lad I felt as if I knew him as the lyrics began to expose the real man.
I knew that there would be a lot of soul searching going on at this funeral. A lot of questions ‘ what if’s’ - ‘could I have done more?’ - ‘why wasn’t I there for him’.
His girl friend told me how he had been searching for truth - he had his own bible given him when he served a short prison sentence - it was well thumbed - a man searching but with no one to direct him - a sheep without a shepherd - harrassed and helpless - the kind of people the world rejects but the very people Jesus came to save.
I told them how Jesus said He hadn’t come to condemn but to help man to live the right way. Jesus came to bring forgiveness and healing, by dying on the cross for our sins. I told them about Easter and what it really meant. That God so loved the world that He gave - his only son that whosoever believed in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. I prayed that God in His mercy and love would take the young man in His arms and give him the love that he couldn’t find in the world.
As the service drew to a close I suggested that if they had any regrets they could say that they were sorry - make their peace with the Lord and leave this place ready to make a fresh start. That something good would come out of the tragic death of their friend.
The music started to play - the undertaker made her way to the family to usher them out - I stopped her and asked her to wait until I said the time was right. One by one the young folk started to gather round the coffin and made their peace.
I knew then that that’s why I had to be there - that’s why God chose me to give direction, purpose and healing into their lives. That’s why God calls you and I to leave the crowd mentality and be prepared to stand up for Him and share the good news with those out there.
The truth is that as we speak - there are thousands of Richards around who are crying out for direction and who need someone to show them the better way. Hurting people - people Jesus came to save - people who need the Lord
In Matthew we read how Jesus looking at the crowds of people who followed Him the crowds of people many of whom were harrassed and helplesss, a people with no purpose in life, no direction like sheep without a shepherd He described them - we are told that He had compassion for them - His heart went out to them. He could see their pain their frustrations with life and seeing such a great task that lay before Him He told His disciples, those He had called to be witnesses told them to cry out to God for more labourers who could help witness to the vast crowds.
And here we are - That’s our calling - that’s our mission - to know the truth and be prepared to get out of the crowd and bring others into that truth by sharing our lives and testimony with them.
I pray that this Easter will be special for each one of us as we once again realise
the price that Jesus paid for us.
The value that He placed on our lives when He gave His in our place.
The compassion and love of Saviour who’s heart ached for the lost.
The responsibility of each one of us to share the good news, the truth about Easter with people out there.Sunday 22 March 2015John 11; 1-7 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”
When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”
When ever I read this, I get the real sense that if ever there was a place where Jesus felt at home it was here at Bethany - with his friends Lazarus, Mary and Martha.
Bethany - a lovely name - even my Bethany’s lovely - next month it will be18 years since I was privileged to dedicate her as a baby to God - and she’s full on for God today.
Jesus travelled a lot and we are told that He had no permanent place where He could lay His head - but it seems as though He felt at home here in Bethany.
Shortly before He went to the cross He shared with His disciples how He was leaving them but if they loved Him and were obedient to Him that He would come and make His home in our hearts. We sing the chorus don’t we? Into my heart, come into my heart Lord Jesus, come in today, come in to stay, come into my heart Lord Jesus.
That’s just the place God wants to be - In your heart. That was what Jesus said ‘Love God with all your heart mind, soul and being’ We’ve been looking at that over the last few weeks - of putting God first - above all else - Jesus first Yourselves last and Others in between. JOY.
My prayer this day is that, if He hasn’t already done so, He will come into our hearts - fill us with His love and feel at home there. It’s up to us to invite Him.
Back to our story; Lazarus - is ill and so naturally his sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” - they were desperate and knew that Jesus was the only one who could help them. When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Jesus knew that this would be a great opportunity for Gods mighty power to be evidenced by the disbelieving crowds - especially the Pharisees. It would also be a foretaste of greater things to come - His own resurrection from the dead and a reminder that one day all those who love the Lord and have lived their lives in obedience to Him will be resurrected too to eternal life.
Jesus’s response? 5 Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” No hurry then? Jesus knew that he would do a great miracle for God's glory and, therefore He was not in a hurry
John 11; 17-37 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”This episode in the life of Jesus reveals His compassion and love for those who love Him. Even though he knew that Lazarus would live, he was still moved to weep with the ones he loved. Jesus cared about their sorrow - He shared their pain - He wept with them - He knew that their tears would turn to joy - but for the moment - He shared their pain.
Jesus wept - Jesus -God incarnate -showed how much He cared and today He still cares, about you and me and whatever we are called to face in life. In that same way, we should not be ashamed to express our true feelings to God because He cares for us.
Many times we wait for the Lord in the midst of a terrible situation and wonder why he doesn't respond more quickly. Sometimes, like in this instance where He tarried two more days before responding to the need of Mary and Martha - sometimes God allows our situation to go from bad to worse because he's planning to do something powerful and wonderful; He has a purpose that will bring even greater glory to God.
Maybe you’re going through a difficult time and feel like God is delaying much too long in answering your need? Just take the story of Lazarus to heart. Your situation could not be any worse than his!
We all go through difficult times in our lives - sometimes we don’t feel that we are able to cope - sometimes we cry out to God and don’t seem to get the answers we want - still remember this that truly God cares and we don’t know the full picture of why things happen as they do but we are told to persevere, hang on in there - He knows and He cares even if we don’t understand.
Trust that God must have a purpose for your trial, and that he will bring glory to himself through it.
This last year has been one of the most difficult in my life - if I’m honest, most days I can’t see the purpose in my life. This week will be difficult as tomorrow is our Wedding Anniversary and it’s Beryls birthday this coming Friday. I still don’t understand why Beryl had to go through what she did and like Martha, I cry out to the Lord ’You could have saved her Lord - but then I guess He did - in His own way.
Thankfully, I believe and know the truth of what Jesus said to Martha “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” and with Martha I give a resounding “Yes, Lord,” Beryl is still alive in my heart and alive in Heaven
What Jesus is saying here is "Whoever believes in me receives spiritual life that even physical death can never take away." WOW! Our today hope and our tomorrow hope.
32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied.
Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!” Jesus cares - whatever you and I are going through - He cares and one day, as the song says, further along we’ll understand it all by and by.
Lets look at how the story progressed
John 12; 38-45 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said.
“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone.
Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, 'Take off the grave clothes and let him go'Jesus said; If you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
Wow! Only Believe - that was what inspired Smith Wigglesworths and the lesson He wanted the world to know - Smith the young lad from Menston was born 10th of June 1859 to a very poor family in Menston . He started work when he was six, pulling and cleaning turnips.
When he was seven he joined his father in the mill. Life was hard in those days. Rising at 5am in the morning, he had to walk two miles to start work at 6am and didn't finish ‘til 6pm. He never went to school and it wasn‘t until years later when he was married that his wife Polly Featherstone taught him to read and write.
Smiths parents were not committed Christians and didn’t go to church -but his father encouraged his sons Smith and brother James to go to the local Anglican Church because he met the parson in the same pub and drank beer together. It was his grandmother Bella Wigglesworth, a Methodist, who took him along to the Wesleyan Methodist chapel in Menston where, at the tender age of eight, he was converted.
In Smiths words ‘ When I was eight years of age, there was a revival meeting at grandma’s church. I can remember one Sunday morning at 7am when those simple folk were dancing around a big stove in the centre of the church, clapping their hands
As I clapped my hands and sang with them, a clear knowledge of the new birth came into my soul. I looked to the Lamb of Calvary. I believed that He loved me and had died for me. Life came in - eternal life - I knew that I had recieved new life which had come from God. I was born again. I saw that God wants us so badly that He has made the condition as simple as He possibly could - Only believe’. From the time of my conversion , I became a soul winner, and the first person I won for Christ was my own dear mother’
And he did - for when the Salvation Army came to Bradford - he joined and married another convert, Polly Featherstone. The rest is history - they started a fellowship in Manningham and Smith became a world renowned Evangelist with the gift of divine healing. I have about thirty books about him. ‘Only Believe’ he would shout.
Only Believe - that’s all it takes - for when we believe then we will respond to all that Jesus said and did and experience His indwelling, His empowering, His enabling to face whatever the world has to throw at us - but more than that - know the full power of this life saving, life renewing gospel - the power to live in victory whatever we are called to face in this life and one day join the saints in heaven around the throne of God with our Lord and with our loved ones.
Whatever you’re going through in your life - hang in there - God cares and God will answer your prayers - meet your need. As the chorus says, Ask the Saviour to help you, comfort, strengthen and keep you. He is willing to help you, He will carry you through. And He will
As a result of the incredible miracle that we have just read, John goes on to say many people put their faith in Jesus.
We are weeks away from the culmination of the life, ministry and purpose of Jesus and I pray that as we go through the next couple of weeks sharing together the awesome extent of Gods love in sending Jesus to pay the ultimate price for our sins and open the highway to heaven for those who accept the truth -I pray that we will all give the best of our lives to loving and serving Him.
Next week is Palm Sunday the day when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the last leg of His journey - the following Wednesday we will meet to celebrate the Last Supper He shared with His disciples before going to the cross. On Good Friday we will meet around the cross to share with the disciples and His mother what they went through, then in the afternoon go up to Otley and share a hymn and a prayer around the cross there. Then On Easter Sunday celebrate together the greatest event when He rose again from the dead.
I pray that God will open up our minds and hearts to know that He did it for us because He loves us.
The joy of this weeks message is seen in the words of |Jesus - “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
In closing we are going to sing a beautiful song written by Gowans and Larsson - I'm in His hands' and we are - believe it!‘I'm in His hands’ and we are - believe itSunday 15 March 2015Today is Mothers Day. The day that we as a family, thank God for that one special person that we all love, and that's mother. For many people, this day will be a very difficult time. Mothers who today will mourn for their young lads killed in the Morley tragedy last week. Today will be a particularly sad day for many.
There are many remarkable insights to the qualities of a good mum in the Bible, in our bible reading we will see the effect of a mothers love as handed down through three generations to Timothy who was the man he was because of the devotion and teachings of his mother and her mother before her. Lets start with what Paul wrote to Timothy
2 Timothy 1;5 I have been reminded of your ‘sincere faith’, which first ‘lived in’ your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now ‘lives in you also’. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
Timothy became the man he was, a man of sincere faith, through the influence of his mother Eunice who herself must have felt the influence from her own mother Lois.
Good mothers who passed their faith down to their children.
The Bible tells us of many mothers who loved their children so much that they were willing to sacrifice anything to give them the best start in life. This morning, we’re going to look another four of them. Three of the mothers were prepared to give up their sons for their own safety, and the fourth, a mother who was given away by her son.
The first is the mother of Moses We don’t even know her name- all we know is that she was a Levite who along with her husband and all the other Israelites lived as slaves under bondage to the Egyptians. Because the Levite population was overrunning that of the Egyptians, the Pharoah ordered the Hebrew midwives to kill all the new born baby boys. Because some of the midwives feared God and so didn’t follow the cruel law. Pharoah then commanded them to throw them into the River Nile. Exodus 1;22
When this particular Levite mothers baby boy was born she hid him for three months until she could hide him no longer - she then made a papyrus basket, coated it with tar and after putting her baby in it, laid it gently among the reeds in the Nile. Ex 2; 1-10
The baby’s sister Miriam, hid in the reeds to see if he would be discovered. When Pharaohs daughter went to the river to bathe, she found the baby, took a looking to him and felt sorry for him. Realising that it must be one of the Hebrew babies - she would know what had happened. Miriam seized the opportunity to suggest to Pharaohs daughter that she find a Hebrew nurse and promptly went for the babies mother.
She nursed her own son right their in the enemy camp until he was old enough to be looked after by Pharaohs daughter - then, for his own safety, she had to leave him there. That’s the sacrificial love of a mother who was prepared to risk her own life when she decided she would not kill her baby at birth. Who for his own safety, was left in Pharaohs court to be brought up by another woman.
The second mother is Hannah the mother of Samuel Hannahs husband Elkanah had two wives; Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none. Whenever Hannah went to the temple to pray she would ask that one day she would be able to have children. The other wife, Peninnah provoked her till she wept even though Elkanah her husband would say to her, "Hannah, why are you downhearted? Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?"
On one occasion, Eli the priest was sitting by the door of the temple. In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD. And she made a vow that is God allowed her to bless her with a son, she would give him to the LORD for all the days of his life.
Eli the priest saw her and couldn’t understand why her lips were moving, she was crying and yet no sound came out of her mouth. Hannah told him "I was pouring out my soul to the LORD. praying here out of my great anguish and grief." Eli answered, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of Him."
Thankfully God answered her prayer and she gave birth to a son whom she called Samuel, which means, "Because I asked the LORD for him." 1 Samuel 1 v 21-23 When Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfil his vow, Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, "After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the LORD, and he will live there always." "Do what seems best to you," Elkanah her husband told her. "Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the LORD make good his word." So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him.
Samuel was so special to Hannah, He was an answer to prayer. Not having children, she had withstood the taunts of her husbands other wife for many years, and in her desperation had cried out to God for a baby.
Hannah's promised God that if He blessed her with a child, she would one day give him back to God in His service. Who knows, perhaps Hannah thought that what she asked of God was impossible and in her desperation made the deal. You can almost sense the turmoil in Hannah's heart, for when her husband went on his annual visit to the Temple, she held back, and would not go, until the day when she knew she would have to leave Samuel there. "I'm not going this year,' she said, to Elkanah, ''I'll go next year,' holding off that fateful day. So Hannah stayed at home until he was ready.
You can almost sense the turmoil in Hannah's heart, for when her husband went on his annual visit to the Temple, she held back, and stayed at home until her son Samuel was ready. And that’s what she did - 1 Samuel 1; 26 she brought the boy to Eli, and said to him, "As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD. I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he shall be given over to the LORD." And he worshipped the LORD there.
Her heart would be heavy, when the time came for that visit to the Temple, but she honoured her promise, and presented Samuel to the priest Eli. Hannah had no way of knowing that the young child Samuel would be used mightily in the plan of God and be the mouthpiece of God to a rebellious nation.
When I look at our little grandchildren, I find it impossible to believe that anyone could give their child away like Hannah did, or indeed the mother of Moses - but they did it because they loved their babies. They sacrificed everything they had lived for so that their children would live, and have all the best that life could offer.
One of the lovely things about the two mothers we have mentioned is that they showed great sacrificial love.
That reminded me of our third mother in the bible ( 1Kings 3) who, when another woman claimed that her baby was hers, to settle the dispute, went to Solomon who said he would cut the baby in two and give a part to each of the women obviously realising that the baby’s true mother would not let that happen and so when she said no - give the baby to the other woman - he knew straight away who the real mother was and she was reunited with her baby. It was the unselfish mothers love that won through.
I guess that many of us, particularly those of us who were born during the war years, can think of the ways that our mothers, unselfishly showed their sacrificial love in the way in which they were prepared to go without, so that we could wouldn't have to.
I well remember the hardships that my mum endured, during and after the war, when ration books were needed to get food and clothes. We always had enough coupons, but we didn't have enough money to use the coupons. She decided that her boy's would be as well dressed at Whitsuntide, as those wealthy folk up Westfield Lane, so she sat up into the early hours, knitting pullovers for Sam and me, and still get up early to go to work in the mill to supplement my Dads income. That’s love - that real love
Even though Hannah had had to give up her son Samuel, she never ceased to love him and continued to show the spirit of caring as each year, she made her son a little robe and took it to him, when she visited him in the temple. Our fourth mother is Mary the mother of our Lord who after 30 years of loving, caring, and supporting her son finds herself having to stand helplessly by, as the authorities led Him away to death on a cruel cross. She watched as they nailed her son to a cross. She had stood by Him through the good and through the bad times.
We could never imagine what Mary felt the day she saw Him hanging on a cross. Just as Mary loved her son, Jesus loved her too, so much that He looked down from the cross, and looking at John, the disciple who was probably the closest to Jesus, said to His mother, "Dear woman, here is your son, and to John, He said, "here is your mother", and from that time on, John took Mary the mother of Jesus into his home.
Jesus loved his mother and would know the pain that she felt at this time loosing one of her beloved sons, and wanted to make sure that was given the love that she deserved.
Our Father God so often illustrates the power, and extent of His love for His children, in terms of 'Motherly Love'." How often I have wanted to shelter you under the safety of my arms, as a mother hen with her chicks. God's love is seen in no better way, than in the love of a mother for her children. When we thank God for mother, we really thank Him for the love that she showed, His love, His sacrificial love.
The greatest commandment Jesus said, is that you" love one another, as I have loved you. "If only man would look at the mess that he is making of the world, learn the lesson that God showed us in Jesus, of the need for sacrificial love. "Greater Love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends, you are My friends if you do whatsoever I command you". You see God was the first to show His love to mankind.
God gave His Only Son, for your sake, and mine, so that "whosoever believeth on Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. What’s your response Gods love ?
Mothers day is a celebration of love. Love that gives without any thought for itself. The mothers we have looked at all showed real love by giving their best for their children because they loved them - Mary showed her great love and faith in her son Jesus
At His birth, she sang of His greatness.
She knew the heartache of loosing Him when He was only 12 years of age.
When He began His earthly ministry, she showed her faith in Him when at the wedding of Canaan, to show the power of God in His first miracle, she told the disciples to ‘do whatever He commands you’.
When He suffered on the cross, she would feel the pain
When He died - something of herself would die also
One can only imagine her joy, when He rose again from the tomb in Victory
In a mother we see what love is really all about - unselfish devotion. The mother of Moses was willing to give him up for his own safety, the mother of Samuel was so thankful to God for answering her prayer that she was willing to give him into the service of the Lord. Mary - she loved and honoured her son so much that she encouraged others to ‘do whatever He tells you to’.
The mother of Timothy however didn’t do anything more spectacular than simply be there for her son and pass on the faith that she had gained from her own mother. That in itself is the best that mother can do - be a spiritual influence to her children and share the deep deep love of God with them.
Mothers Day is a day to celebrate that Love Some of us are privileged to have our own family units close by - others are separated by miles. The good thing is that as Christians, we have two families. One related by physical birth and the other related by a Spiritual New birth, we, here this morning are bound together as Gods family by the love of Jesus, that unites us into the family of God.
As family, we are called to support, help, encourage and be there for one another in just the same way that our natural brothers and sisters - sometimes, even more so.
God calls us together and says to us - this is your brother, this is your sister, as you love them, so you love Me, As you love Me, so you love them.
Together we are Gods children - the family of God and when we love, respect and honour one another - when we walk humbly with others and share the love of God with others as Christ did, we have everything that a person can have.
We are one in Christ Jesus. We are the family of God - I pray that the love we have for one another will grow and that the love we have for those who there will grow too.
Just as a mothers love is passed on to her children, so too the love of God is passed on through His children - you and me - out into a world of spiritual orphans - folk who don’t realise the love of their real Father - God - and it’s up to us to show them His love.

Sunday 8 March 2015Over the last few weeks we have looked at the early ministry of Jesus. From His wilderness experience to the calling of His disciples and the first miracles He did such as healing the Paralysed man who was taken by his friends to be healed my Jesus. Crowds around Jesus - couldn’t get near if it hadn’t have been for his friends he would never have encountered Jesus. Jesus commended them for their faith in Him and the efforts that they had made to bring their friend to Him.
Last Sunday we read about the calling of Matthew to leave everything and follow Him. How Matthew held a great banquet - and it would have been great, him being a wealthy man - a tax collector - some of whom sought to feather their own pockets by charging people excessively over what they really owed.
We looked at how again, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were there and looking to discredit Jesus saying‘ Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners? To which Jesus answered ‘ because it’s not the healthy who need a doctor it’s the sick’ I hav’nt come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance’.
WOW! That put them in their place - the high ups in the church of the day - full of the law but lacking in Grace. Leaders and teachers of the Law who were good at stressing the ‘don’ts’, the ’thou shalt nots’ by pointing the finger at the sinners - but no good at practicing the do’s’ the ‘Thou shalt’. All Matthew had done was invite his friends and colleague to come and hear abut his transformation and let them see the change in his life. The bible reading we will share later talks about another party that Jesus was invited to - this time it’s in the house of a Pharisee called Simon.
On Wednesday night at our Bible fellowship I asked the question ‘Why do you think the Pharisees made such a concerted effort to deride the words of Jesus? And suggested it was because they had so many laws, ruled and regulations that they were blinded to the simple truth that if they spent more of their time concentrating their efforts of trying to obey the ’thou shalt’s’ rather than the’ thou shalt not’s’ they would realise that the ‘do’s’ would take care of the ‘don’t’s’.
We looked at the Ten Commandments which are essentially a summary of the 613 commandments contained in the Old Testament Law that the Saducees were trying to stress. The first four commandments deal with our relationship with God. The last six commandments deal with our relationships with one another.
The do’s 1. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me- In other words Love God with all your heart mind and soul
2. Keep the Sabbath day holy.
3. Honour your father and your mother..The Don’t’s 4. Don’t make idols - not just stone images but anything that takes our priority.
5. Don’t take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
6. Don’t murder.
7. Don’t commit adultery.
8. Don’t steal.
9. Don’t bear false witness against your neighbour.
10. Don’t covet your neighbours goods.
The Pharisees and teachers of the day were strong on the law but lacked Grace.When they asked Jesus which were the most important commands Jesus said ‘ the first is love the Lord your God with all your heart mind and soul and the second is love your neighbour. All you need is loveWhen asked by another Pharisee how one could “inherit eternal life,” Jesus answered that it is by keeping these two commandments (Luke 10:25–37).
I said last Sunday that I believe one of the reasons Jesus came was to give people a truer picture of a loving forgiving God who cared about His creation and through Christ was extending the loving arm of Mercy, Grace and Forgiveness.
We read how when Jesus returning from the wilderness experience went to the synagogue stood up and read Isaiah ’The Spirit of the Lord is on me because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor, proclaim freedom for the prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind and release the oppressed, proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favour’ He rolled up the scroll and sat down. Everyone in the Synagogue stared at Him as He tells them ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing’.
Jesus came to bring good news to those rejected by the church of His day. He mixed with those they classed as undesirables, sinners - He cared about them and didn’t like the way in which the ‘Religious’ despised them.
I said last week that that was one of the main reasons William Booth started the salvation Army. It wasn’t his intention to do that - he thought he could get the sinners saved and then pass them on to the churches -
Sadly that didn’t happen - the churches were too posh for the kind of clientel that William reached out to and so he had to open halls all over the country and eventually all over the world as the Gospel spread and sinners were saved. They were called Citadels - places of safety, retreat His motto was go for sinners and go for the worst.
Lets unpack that further as we read Luke 7; 36-50Who invited Jesus to a party? One of the Pharisees. and, Surprise surprise - who do we find there - a woman of ill repute - a prostitute. Have you ever wondered what’s she was doing at the home of the Pharisee in the first place? - upholder of the law? Could it be she was part of a trap to ensnare Jesus and bring Him into disrepute?
If that was so, the plan misfired for it sounds as if the woman had already heard about Jesus - probably heard Him preach - realising that the truth He declared was an open invite for her to repent and be forgiven she wanted to meet Him herself.
She came prepared - she brought an alabaster box containing a costly perfume. As she stood behind Him she wept tears of repentance. Her tears ran down her face and onto the feet of Jesus - she attempted to wipe the tears away with her hair and as she did she kissed the feet of her Saviour and poured the perfume on them. Notice the response of the Pharisee - ‘if Jesus was a prophet surely he would certainly know what kind of woman this is. - she’s a sinner!
Then Jesus looked at the Pharisee who we now know was called Simon - ‘Simon I have something to tell you’ - in other words ‘listen to me’ ‘Go on then ‘ said Simon
Jesus began to tell the story “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.”
Then turning towards the woman Jesus said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”
Jesus turned to the woman and declared: “Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” WOW! The Religious deny Jesus whilst the sinner welcomes Jesus. Why? Because Jesus emphasised the reason for the Law - that reason was Love - to encourage folk to Love God and one another. I said last week that I believe Jesus’s mission was twofold-
(1) to Teach the ‘Religious’ those who thought they were living a Godly life by strict Observance of the Law, or parts of the law - the Thou shalt not’s whilst ignoring the things they should be doing like ministering to the poor, the downtrodden, the oppressed. The Pharisees and Teachers were really showing their true colours. (2) to Reach those who in the main, were living outside of Gods Kingdom probably because no one had shown them a better way or because they were oppressed and could see no other way to survive. The ones who probably felt let down by what they saw of the Religious in those days who did nothing to attract them.
Matthew did what I was told to do when I got saved - ’ first thing tomorrow, tell those at work about what’s happened and the change in your life‘.
When Matthew responded to the call of Jesus to become an disciple, he organised a party for his friends and colleagues to share his joy with them and let them see the difference Jesus can make in a persons life. If only those who go to church this day would then go home and through the week share what they have received with their family and friends - that’s our responsibility - that’s our calling.
When I used to go singing gospel songs around the churches with Kevin my son - one of my favourite songs was ‘What a difference you’ve made in my life’ at the time I had no idea who had made the song popular - I just made it my own - it was my testimony to a great and awesome God who had not only forgiven me of my sins, but had come into my life and was making such a difference to me.
A couple of years ago the song was sung on one of the Gaither Videos that we watch here every Sunday evening by a blind singer called Ronnie Milsap.
Born blind, Milsap was abandoned when he was 6 by his mother and told that his blindness was a curse from God. After his mother abandoned him, he grew up with his grandparents in a very small house in the mountains of western North Carolina. Ronnie says’ There was a lot of love there, and they took me to church, which was the first time I learned I could memorize music very quickly.’ Trouble was that some of his friends at church took him to faith healing meetings and because he wasn’t healed said he lacked faith’ and began to harass him, and pointing an unkind finger at him.
But Milsap trusted in God nonetheless, and went on to attend school, aiming to become a lawyer—but he couldn't shake the music bug, and with a nudge from Ray Charles, ended up on studios and stages rather than in the courtroom.
The way his church friends treated him was terrible and unchristian and could have put anyone off Christianity. Born blind, rejected by his mother at 6 years old, told that his blindness was a curse from God - that would keep anyone down - yet through it all Jesus’s love for Him broke through and despite all this he found faith and shared his faith in singing. One of his favourite songs is ‘what a difference you made in my life’. ( we then listened to the song)
Jesus came to reconcile fallen man back to the heart of God. Jesus came to show that it was through Grace that we are set free and not by a set of impossible laws.
In the whole of Lukes Gospel we find Jesus trying to re-channel mans idea of God away from the strictures of the religious laws and bring man to seek to be obedient to a simpler more fulfilling way.
In Chapter 6 we find the Beattitudes, Gods blessings on those who follow His path of love for others. I call them the positive attitudes - the way we as Christians should ‘Be’ and do. The attitude Christians should have towards God, ourselves and others.
Luke talks about how God wants to bless those who are poor - not just physically poor but the spiritually poor and do it through you and me - His followers. Today is our Self denial collection - the time when we can show our love and concern for the poor in the world in a practical way by the gifting of our some of our money to help those less fortunate than ourselves. - Today is also the day when God wants us to come to know Him better and make him know outside to the spiritually poor
Jesus not only talks about love - real love - that reaches out, not just to the loveable but also to those who would be regarded as our enemies but He IS love and shows it.
He addresses the foolishness and shortsightedness of Judging others whilst failing to see our own faults.
He talks about how we should be building our lives on the rock and not the sand.
Today we have seen how Jesus not only showed compassion on the sinful woman but rebuked those who aught to know better and who instead of reaching out in love to the sinner could only see the sin that condemned her. I closed last weeks meeting by saying that as people of God we should try, this week to share our faith with others - by living the life that will help us to share verbally with our friends, family and colleagues the difference that Knowing Jesus has made to our lives. the challenge is to share our joys with those out there. To share the life giving gospel with others.

Sunday 1 March 2015Luke 5; 27-31
Over the last few weeks we have looked at the early ministry of Jesus. From His wilderness experience to the calling of His disciples and the first miracles He did such as healing the leper and last week, the Paralysed man who was taken by his friends to be healed my Jesus.
Remember how they couldn’t get anywhere near to Jesus because of the great crowds how they carried him up onto the roof and let him down through a hole in the roof to the feet of Jesus. Jesus commended them for their faith in Him and the efforts that they had made to bring their friend to Him. That was faith and love in action.
This week we read about the calling of Matthew to leave everything and follow Him.
How Matthew held a great banquet - and it would have been great, him being a wealthy man - a tax collector - some of whom, in those days, sought to feather their own pockets by charging people excessively over what they really owed.
Notice how, just like we read last week at the healing of the paralytic, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were there and looking to discredit Jesus, challenged Him once again ‘ Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners? To which Jesus as always has an answer ‘ because it’s not the healthy who need a doctor it’s the sick’ I hav’nt come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance’.
WOW! That put them in their place - the high ups in the church of the day - full of the law but lacking in Grace. Leaders and teachers of the Law who were good at stressing the ‘don’ts’, the ’thou shalt nots’ by pointing the finger at the sinners - but no good at practicing the do’s’ the ‘Thou shalt’
All Matthew had done was invite his friends and colleague to come and hear abut his transformation and let them see the change in his life. (What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought - since Jesus came into my heart )
On Wednesday at our Bible Fellowship we watched the opening scenes from the filmed musical Les Miserable and the way in which the two main characters, Valjean the victim of a cruel society where the Law is king and his pursuer Inspector Javert were contrasted. As the story begins, Valjean is being released from 19 years on the chain gang, simply for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his sisters starving child.
Paroled back into the world but shackled with his conviction, which keeps him from being able to start over and make a new life. He is unable to feed himself and is rejected by employees from whom he seeks a job. A bishop invites him to come into the church where he is fed and sheltered. Foolishly he steals silver goblets from the church and runs away under the darkness of night.
He is caught by the police but when the police bring him back to the church, everything changes. The bishop insists the silver was a gift, and tells Valjean that he had left without the most valuable silver candlesticks which he also gave him.
Valjean deserves judgment and condemnation, but instead, receives grace. What he needed was love, acceptance, a chance for a fresh start, a new life that would help him to see the error of his ways and through an act of Grace on behalf of the bishop a chance of a fresh start a new life. It was Grace not condemnation that brought Valjean to his knees in repentance.
The same Grace that Jesus showed the woman taken in adultery and in fear of being stoned to death - Jesus turned to her acusers and said ‘Let him who is without sin cast the first stone’ and the crowds left her alone. Jesus was Himself a man without sin - He could have cast the stone but He chose not to - He showed mercy, Grace and gave the woman a chance of a fresh start when He told her to go and sin no more.
Time and time again that was what Jesus did - He held out the loving hand of forgiveness rather than point the finger of condemnation. Grace above the Law. But that was, I believe, one of the reasons Jesus came - to give people a truer picture of a loving forgiving God who cared about His creation and through Christ was extending the loving arm of Mercy, Grace and Forgiveness.
Luke 4;14 tells how following His time in the wilderness - Jesus returns to Galilee and in the power of the spirit goes to the synagogue and turning to the scroll of Isaiah reads the passage written centuries before about the Messiah where it says ’The Spirit of the Lord is on me because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor, proclaim freedom for the prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind and release the oppressed, proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favour’ He then rolls up the scroll and sits down. Everyone in the Synagogue is agog as they stare at Him as He then tells them ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing’.
I believe Jesus’s mission was twofold- (1) to reach those who thought they were already living a Godly life by strict compliance to the Law whilst ignoring Grace - and (2) reach those who in the main, were living outside of Gods Kingdom probably because no one had shown them a better way or because they were oppressed and could see no other way to survive. Perhaps too they felt let down by what they saw of the Religious in those days who did nothing to attract them.
That’s the reason William Booth formed the Christian Mission in 1869 which developed into a Church called the Salvation Army in 1878. The Church in Victorian England had become an elitist organisation that catered for the rich and well to do at the exclusion the poor. Churches had pews reserved and named for the rich and if the poor came in, they were pushed to the back of the pulpit out of sight so as not to upset the well dressed.
William did what Jesus commanded - by bringing the good news of the gospel to the poor with the intention of then introducing them to the local churches - just like Billy Graham did in the 50’s. But it’s because the churches rejected the poor that Booth organised meetings in the theatres after shows and later built ‘Citadels’ places of safety and acceptance for the rejected. Booth, took the example of Jesus and reached out to the poor and marginalised - not pointing a finger at the poor sinner but rather at their sin offering forgivenness and a fresh start - just like in the book Les Miserable.
Idle SA started life in the Old Green Mill 1884- I guess the poor would feel at home.
Luke 6; 20 Looking at His disciples, He said:
Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.
This was before the formation of the church that came after Pentecost where members were encouraged to care for one another, spend time in fellowshipping with one another - bonding as brothers and sisters - looking after and caring for the poor amongst them even to the extent of the more well to do selling their surplus things and giving the proceeds to the poor.
I believe that just as Jesus referred to the physical state of the poor often caused through poverty and rejection- He also spoke to the spiritual state of mankind.Good news to the poor in Spirit, freedom to those caught up in sin, recovery of sight to the spiritually blind and release for the spiritually oppressed - all caused because of the finger pointing of those who aught to know better. The Pharissee’s and teachers of the Law in their day.
When you look at the words of Jesus and see them not just in a physical sense but rather a spiritual sense it begins to put new light on the motivation and essence of what Church should be like and challenge the way we see ourselves and our church.
Remember - He was speaking to His disciples;
Lets look at that in regards to spiritual things. Looking at His Disciples He said;
1 Blessed are you who are poor ( in spirit) , for yours is the kingdom of God
In other words; Blessed are those who acknowledge their need of spiritual wisdom and insight - for your goal and reward is the Kingdom of God
2 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.
In other words, hunger after Gods word, the bread of life and you will be filled
3 Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
You who genuinly repent the folly of your ways and are truly sorry for your sin will be blessed and laugh for Joy - even the angels in heaven will celebrate
4 Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.
When you choose to follow Gods way rather than mans selfish ways and you are excluded, insulted, rejected because of your faith - God will bless you,
5 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.
In contrast look at what Jesus says to the supposedly ’Religious’1 But woe to you who are rich, for you havealready received your comfort.The ones who are all show - long prayers on the street corner - you already have your reward in the form of mens praise and pious satisfation
2 Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry.The know it alls - false teachers of the law will one day realise they don‘t know the halfDepart from Me I never knew you
3 Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.Those who have little regard for those less fortunate than themselves, for you will mourn and weep. 4 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.You might look good from the outside but when your actions don’t match your words- you’ll been seen for what you are false - a hypocrite
No wonder Jesus challenged the Religious charlatans who excluded the majority and made it an exclusive church for the privileged - he came to open the gate to Heaven for those the Pharisees excluded. - to proclaim that whosoever will might be saved - to bring all mankind back to the heart of God - to release mankind from concentrating on the oppresivness of the Law and proclaim freedom for all of Gods creation.
Jesus came to remind those who thought they the only way to know God was by sticking religiously to the Law yet failed to live up to the demands of God in loving Him and One another. Those who made more of the ‘Don’t’s’ than they did of the ‘Do’s’. That’s why when Jesus was asked which was the greatest of the commandments said ‘ the first is to Love the Lord your God with all your heart mind, soul and body and the second is to love one another as much as I have loved you‘.
By saying this He didn’t exclude the other commands but rather highlighted the ’do’s’ that if adhered to would automatically bring the ‘don’ts’ into play. Point an accusing finger at someone, you’re pointing three fingers at yourself.
Paul writing to the Philippians 2; sums it all up If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!
That’s Church in it’s purest form - the living body of Christ in the world today.
What an inviting place the church would be today if the people who go there every week would take it upon themselves to adopt the lifestyle that Paul emphasises here.
No wonder that many outside the church see the church as being out of touch with society- always pointing an accusing finger at the world. I find that sad. What they should be able to see is a fellowship of people who have a genuine love and concern for one another and the world. A Harmonious, loving and caring people who rather than being accusing are seen as welcoming. Loving the sinner not the sin.
When Jesus spoke about how we as Christians should respond to those outside who don’t understand what being a Christian is all about - He said this
‘Are you listening to Me - do you hear what I say?’ Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.
And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judges.
Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with what measure you use, it will, be measured to you.What did Jesus say to the Pharisees? I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Sadly the Church today concentrates more on preaching to the converted on Sunday - but neglecting to reach the unconverted during the week.
Teach AND Reach should be our aim.
We need to Teach the word, Hearken to it, Respond to it, be Inspired by it and Live it in our daily Life.When Matthew responded to the call of Jesus to become an disciple, he organised a party for his friends and colleagues to share his joy with them and let them see the difference Jesus can make in a persons life. If only those who go to church this day would then go home and through the week share what they have received with their family and friends - that’s our responsibility - that’s our calling.
It’s great to meet together with like minded people on Sunday the challenge is to share our joys with those out there. To share the life giving gospel with those who need it.
I look forward to our sharing time next Sunday morning - might not even need a sermon.Sunday 22 February 22 2015 Luke 5;17-26
17 One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there.
There were two main groups of Jews at the time of Jesus. They were called the Pharisees and the Sadducees . The word Pharisee means ‘separated one’ of which there were about 6000. The Pharisees said that they believed the whole of the Old Testament and were trying to obey all God's laws but often they pretended to be holier than they really were.
They obeyed many unimportant rules. But often they failed to obey God's most important rules. And they refused to listen to Jesus. They cared more about their religion than about God. Not all Pharisees behaved in this way. Their leaders opposed Jesus. But many other Pharisees believed Jesus. They realised that God sent Jesus. So they trusted Jesus - Gamiliel was one of them.
Jesus was well sought after, and not just by the sick and infirm, but also by these so called learned men who had travelled from far and wide - possibly because the news about Jesus had spread following the miraculous things He had been doing and the claims He had been making about Himself as fulfilment of the prophesies of Isaiah regarding the promised Messiah.
They would be very curious yet wary. A bit like people today who are very cautious about the claims of the bible and refuse to believe any of it unless it is backed up by proof. If it sounds far fetched, out of human understanding it can't possibly be true.The Sadducees would try to trick Jesus into saying things that they could term as being blasphemous and so discredit Him as a false prophet
In todays enlightened age the very basics of the Christian faith seem, to so many, so unbelievable as to be untrue. The virgin birth, the miracles of Jesus, the ressurection are all out of mans understanding as to be impossible and therefore can’t be true. That’s why men like Richard Dawkins find impossible to believe and are all too ready to put those doubts into the minds of others.
Remember Doubting Thomas who found it hard to believe his friends when they told him that Jesus has risen from the dead. ‘I won’t believe it until I see it for myself’The following week, when Jesus appeared to His disciples again, Thomas was there and Jesus said 'Come put your fingers into the holes on My hands and your hand into the gaping hole in My side’ Thomas did and believed. ‘You believe Thomas because you have seen but blessed are they who have not seen yet believe’. In other words, where the world says Seeing is believing, the Christian knows that believing is Seeing, that if we believe by faith then God will open our spiritual eyes to embrace the truth.
And so the learned men, the Pharisees and teachers came to find out for themselves if what they had heard about this man Jesus was true. To see Him do the miracles that would add strength to His statements that He was the Messiah.
I like the way in which Luke closes verse 17 with the majestic statement of truth And the power of the Lord was present for Him to heal the sick.WOW! They were in for an eye-openner. They were in for a shock - they would see for themselves - Jesus heal the sick, cleanse the unclean right there before their very eyes - and not just them but also the men who had faithfully brought the sick man.18 Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven." Jesus saw the faith of the men who brought their friend to Him and responded to it.
O to have that kind of deep faith in Jesus that helps us to encourage others to believe in His miracle working power.
What a wonderful privilage and calling we have that we are called to help and encourage others to come into the presence of the great healer, the forgiver of sins. Friends, relations, neighbours, people we meet from day to day who need to know our Saviour. I wonder if we really do try to encourage other folk to see for themselves how Great God is.
I wonder how many people we have talked to this week that we have invited to come with us to meet the Lord. These men who helped the lame man, probably helped him each day to get to a place where he could beg. Today, they had heard about Jesus this miracle working man and said to their friend, ‘today mate we’re not taking you to beg, we’re taking you to meet someone who could transform your life, someone who can heal you and give you your life back. To give you purpose and direction. They’d heard about Jesus - what He was doing and wanted to take their friend to meet with Jesus. I wonder how Jesus will view us when we stand before Him on that great day and He asks us why we never invited so and so to come with us to meet Him?
We have every reason here at Idle to believe in the awesome power of Almighty God to do anything. Heal, Finance - many of us here this morning have experienced it personally as well as collectively as a church.
This episode in the life and ministry of Jesus is not just about the healing of the lame man - but more about the faith of those who brought him to Jesus. It’s also about the way God used His power to let the sceptics SEE without a doubt that Jesus was the Messiah. They could see the active power of God in the miraculous.
The mans friends couldn’t get anywhere near to Jesus and so they climbed onto the roof, separated part of the roof and lowered their friend down through the roof right in front of Jesus - WOW what theatre this is - what a spectacular way to let everyone present including the Pharisses and mockers to see for themselves the power of Almighty God in action right before there very eyes.21 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, "Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, "Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?
All the Pharisees and teachers could do was argue the law and accuse Jesus of blasphemy. ‘Only God can forgive sins’ and they were quite right - only God can forgive sins - but they had still not realised who Jesus was - they saw the miraculous but refused to accept that He was God incarnate. Here comes a man, a paralysed man, who in their books would be ill because he was a sinner - and here comes Jesus saying ‘Your sins are forgiven!” Jesus was about to prove to them that He was God incarnate - and so Jesus asked them; Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . ." He said to the paralyzed man, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God.
No wonder we read in the Bible tells us that ‘No eye hath seen, nor ear hath heard what God has in store for those who love Him’ Here - by showing the miraculous power of God in healing the man - Jesus was affirming His power to forgive sins and so because of what they had seen, we read; Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, "We have seen remarkable things today."
One of the most important messages we can glean from today’s reading is the importance of putting ones faith into action.
The faith of the friends who brought the paralyzed man to Jesus was actioned when they brought Him to Jesus.
Jesus not only preached in the temples and by the wayside, on the sea shore and in boats anchored in the sea - He put His words into action and let people SEE the power of God in action.
He didn’t just talk the talk, He walked the walk!
We might not have to face the challenges of the sceptic, the unbelieving scholars like Jesus did, but we all meet people in our daily lives who don’t believe, even people who don’t care and can’t see why it is important to believe in God and try to live by His standards. Work colleagues, friends even family.
The only way to help them come to know Him and find faith is to live the life - let them see the power of God in our own lives.
That’s why Paul wrote to the Church at Corinth ‘When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. 1 Cor 2
Or as we Yorkshiremen put it ‘It’s better felt than telt’ or as one wise old work colleague said to me when I said I couldn’t understand what my teachers were telling me ‘Come her, A’ll show thee lad’ A picture speaks more than a thousand words.
Maybe that’s’ why ‘the word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of Grace and truth - and I saw His Glory’
We have a responsibility to God and our fellow men to let others SEE how our Christian faith embraces and enhances our daily life and gives us the blessed assurance of spending eternity with God and those who chose to follow Him.Sunday 15 February 2015Yesterday was Valentines Day - I’ve never seen as many red roses in Morrisons as I did yesterday. Blood Red roses with their heart shaped petals- a symbol of enduring love
A most popular scripture for weddings is the love chapter from 1 Cor 13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Surely one wouldn’t give all they have to the poor if they didn’t love them? Not so, You can give without loving, but you can't love without giving. God gave His son Jesus because He loves us and because He wanted to Love is patient, Love is kind. it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Ideals for a marriage to succeed but so difficult to keep. Even little things like not keeping a record of wrongs, not being easily angered - always trusting one another - persevering - working at it - really loving one another.
I couldn’t believe it when I scanned the front pages of the morning newspapers at Morrisons and saw a solicitors advert at the bottom of the page that was headlined ’ Special offer for Valentines Day - Divorces now only £200.
Love? Thank God He really loves us - The favourite bible text John 3;16 tells us that God so loved the World that He gave His only son that whosoever believeth on Him should be saved’ That’s real sacrificial love - that no one can take away.In Pauls letter to the Romans 8; 38-39 he says this; For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Pauls letter to the Church at Corinth stressed the importance of genuine love. Sadly
God‘s people, somehow had grown into a fellowship that seemed to have all the right ingrediants, but getting nowhere. A church that had lost direction.

A church that instead of changing the world had allowed the world to infiltrate it's thinking. On the face of it, they certainly looked the part but sadly it was all show. the life real blood of the church that used to flow from a heart of love had somehow ceased to flow.

They needed to be reminded of the words of Jesus that we can read in John 14; 21 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?"
Jesus replied, "If anyone ( that implies anyone in the whole world) if anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
Strong words indeed. If this was the instruction of Jesus it would be enough, but this statement has the stamp of the authority of the Father '"If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching'.
In other words -if you really love Jesus then you will desire to live in obedience to His every word. 'If you love me, you will show it by your actions'
Here’s a lovely illustration I’ve used at Mothers day.
A man stopped at a flower shop to order some flowers to be wired to his mother who lived two hundred miles away. As he got out of his car he noticed a young girl sitting on the curb sobbing. He asked her what was wrong and she replied, "I wanted to buy a red rose for my mother. But I've only got 30p and a rose costs £1."
The man smiled and said, "Come on in with me. I'll buy you a rose." He bought the little girl her rose and ordered his own mother's flowers.

As they were leaving he offered the girl a ride home. She said, "Yes, please! You can take me to my mother." She directed him to a cemetery, where she placed the rose on a freshly dug grave. The man returned to the flower shop, cancelled the wire order, picked up a bouquet and drove the two hundred miles to his mother's home.
The apostle John knew what it was to be loved by Jesus that's why he could write such words as these 'Little children, let us stop just sayingwe love people; let’s reallylove them, and show itby our actions'. 1 John 3; 18 Living Bible
And in the next chapter - Dear friends, let us practice loving each other, for love comes from God and those who are loving and kind show that they are the children of God, and that they are getting to know him better. But if a person isn't loving and kind, it shows that he doesn't know God - God is love' 1 John 4;7,8'.
John wanted us to know the love of God and live life to the full. The reason John wrote his gospel and the letters is stated in John 20; 31 'these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name'. and 1 John 5; 13 'I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life'.
Real life is knowing Jesus and being obediant to Him, living in His love.
John 15; 9-14, 17 Jesus said "I have loved you even as the Father has loved Me. Live within My love. When you obey Me you are living in My love, just as I obey My Father and live in His love. I have told you this so that you will be filled with My joy. Yes, your cup of joy will overflow! I demand that you love each other as much as I love you. And here is how to measure it - the greatest love is shown when a person lays down his life for his friends; and you are My friends if you obey Me.
I love this little anecdote - I’ve shared it with you before; One evening just before the great Broadway musical star, Mary Martin, was to go on stage in South Pacific, a note was handed to her. It was from Oscar Hammerstein, who at that moment was on his deathbed. The short note simply said: "Dear Mary, A bell's not a bell till you ring it. A song's not a song till you sing it. Love in your heart is not put there to stay. Love isn't love till you give it away."
After her performance that night many people rushed backstage, crying, "Mary, what happened to you out there tonight? We never saw anything like that performance before."
Blinking back the tears, Mary then read them the note from Hammerstein. Then she said, "Tonight, I gave my love away!"
God is Love. God wants to live through you and me and show His love to the world.
Just as real love is felt deep within ones self - so God wants to come into our hearts and fill us with His presence - He wants to make His home within us by the power and might of His Holy Spirit. He wants us to be firmly rooted in Him
Pauls letter to the Ephesians 3; 14-21 When I think of the wisdom and scope of his plan, I fall down on my knees and pray to the Father of all the great family of God - some of them already in heaven and some down here on earth - that out of His glorious, unlimited resources He will give you the mighty inner strengthening of His Holy Spirit. And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts, living within you as you trust in Him.
May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love; and may you be able to feel and understand, as all God's children should, how long, how wide, how deep, and how high His love really is; and to experience this love for yourselves, though it is so great that you will never see the end of it or fully know or understand it. And so at last you will be filled up with God himself.Now glory be to God, who by His mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of - infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes. May He be given glory forever and ever through endless ages because of His master plan of Salvation for the Church through Jesus Christ.
Love cost God His Song - Love cost Jesus His life - Love isn’t easy but it’s the only way that will bring peace and direction in our lives.
For me, this has been a difficult week. It was the week that a year ago Beryl died Wed Feb 11. Thursday was Bethany’s 18th birthday and yesterday was Valentines day.
For Bethany’s 18th birthday I did what I always do and thats make and print my own personal greetings card complete with pictures from when they were babies to a present day picture. As I Looked through the pictures of Bethany over the years obviously Beryl was on lot of them - and the creation of Bethany’s Birthday card became a very painful experience. It cost me far more emotionally than it would have done to buy a card at the newsagents - but I did it because I love my grandchildren.
Love costs The love that Beryl and I shared was special which I thank God for.
When I consider how much the pain of being seperated from Beryl is to me - just think how our Lord must feel seeing His creation moving so far away from Him.
God so loved the world and even though the world has turned it‘s back on Him - God still loves His creation
God so loves you and I - that He wont give up on us - God deserves nothing less that our love - real love - love that is seen in obedience to Him. To show how much we love Him by putting Him first in our lives.
The card I gave you reminds us in words how much God loves us.
I guess that the cards that people sent one another yesterday were full of fancy words
But words alone are not enough are they.
People want to feel loved, to be cared for, to feel wanted and cherished - people need to fell the love in action.
That’s why God sent Jesus - the word became flesh and lived among us full of grace and truth - love in action.
We have sung our hymns about Gods love - we have read His word that tells us continually how much God loves us - God’s done everything He possibly could to show His love for us. Now it’s our turn to reciprocate that love by living lives that glorify Him.
The King of love my shepherd is whose goodness faileth never
I nothing lack if I am His and He is mine forever
Perverse and foolish oft I strayed but yet in love He sought me
And on His shoulder gently laid and home rejoicing brought me
And so through all the length of days Thy goodness faileth never
Good shepherd may I sing Your praise within Thy house foreverSunday 8 February 2015 Luke 5;12-15
Luke 5; 12-16 While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" And immediately the leprosy left him. Then Jesus ordered him, "Don't tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them." Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
Here was a man, a leper, who would be seen as ‘unclean’ - ‘Lord if you are willing YOU CAN make me clean’ That’s the statement of a man who has faith to believe in Jesus. Full of compassion Jesus reached out His hand ‘I am willing’He said -and touching the man - no one dared to touched a leper in those days - touching the man Jesus said ‘be clean’ and immediately the leprosy left him. Faith in Jesus brought the healing he needed.
Jesus was in demand - so busy, - no wonder he called disciples to come onboard and strengthen His team - No wonder near the end of His ministry he commissioned the disciples to go into all the world with the good news - spread it around - make more disciples - because the harvest is great but the labourers are few.
This is God incarnate to whom nothing is impossible - reaching out to mankindThis is Jesus - God in flesh - The power that Jesus showed was nothing less than the power of God manifest in and through Him.
No wonder we are told that Jesus, Son of God, yet fully man - needed to withdrew to a lonely place to pray - to talk to His Father, to be re-energised and empowered from on high.
No wonder Jesus taught His disciples how to pray for He knew that in their own strength they would not be able to accomplish all that God had in mind for them to do. They needed the power from on High.
This is highlighted in the occasion when His disciples tried to cast a demon out of a young man and couldn’t - Jesus came down from the mountain, probably been praying and commanded the demon to come out of the young man which it did - His disciples asked ‘Why couldn’t we do that? Jesus told them that it was only possible through prayer’ Mark 9;29
We’d be lost without prayer - That’s why I believe there is a real need for all of us - as Gods children -to discipline ourselves to spend some of our precious time in quietness away from the busyness of our daily living and share some quality time with our Father too. To replenish, to energise, to empower us to be the kind of person He wants us to be.
I wonder how much time we as Gods children actually do spend in prayer - sadly many folk only pray when they need help and life is difficult. It’s a last desperation.
Yet if people disciplined themselves to spend some time each day in the presence of God in prayer, then they would have the inner strength to help them through lifes difficult times. O what peace we often forfeit O what needless pain we bear - all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
Martin Luther said "I have so much to do today that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer". The great Methodist preacher Wesley said ‘It’s not that I’m too busy to pray - I’m too busy NOT to pray’.
Let me tell you about Yesterday morning - I had a terrible time - The start of my day always follows the same pattern. After I’ve got washed and dressed, I start to put the things back in my pockets that I will need for the day because the last thing I do at night is empty all my pockets so that I can neatly fold my clothes for the next day.
I put my loose change in my pocket, then a couple of handkerchiefs followed by my wallet which contains just my store cards and vouchers. Lastly I put my monetary notes wrapped round my bank card into my back pocket. Then, I always start the day kneeling at the side of my bed in prayer - but for some reason - yesterday morning turned out differently as, I couldn’t find my Master Card or money. I searched everywhere - downstairs, on the mantlepiece down the chair backs, I even emptied the paper recycling bin in the Kitchen - I went out to the car - it wasn’t there - panic sets in. ‘Where’s my money and bank card?’ ‘Come on Lord, I cried, You know where it is! I carried on searching but to no avail.
An hour later, I‘d given up and I got down on my knees - which I should have done first - and prayed.
Every morning, I use the prayer Jesus taught His disciples as a pattern for my own prayers. I resisted the temptation to start with a plea to God ’Where’s my money’ and I started, as I always do, and as the Lord’s prayer says, by honouring God and applauding His greatness with the words ‘Our Father who art in Heaven Hallowed be Thy name’
The obvious thing about starting prayer like that is that we remind ourselves of His greatness - His authority over all things and His great power to help simple little me.‘Thy Kingdom Come Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven’ I know that only when I live in obedience to His will I begin to realise how awesome it will be when all people - our friends, our fellowship will live in the Kingdom of God - that place of perfect love and harmony.‘Give us this day our daily bread’ every day I thank God because He does exactly that every day in my life and always has.
When my family was young, we didn’t have a lot of money - just my wage - because I desired that Beryl stayed at home to look after the children. I remember one morning we realised that we didn’t have enough money to feed the kids that day and so I prayed asking God to ’do a miracle’ and give us this day our daily bread.
That morning the gas man came, emptied our gas metre and gave us the money that we had over paid 12/6 - which then fed us for the rest of the week.
As I prayed my usual prayer yesterday morning I resisted the urge to ask God to show me where my money was straight away and went on to finish my prayer. Forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead me not into temptation- in other words, don’t put me to the test Lord - you know how weak I am - I usually have tears in my eyes by now as I remember the foolish things I did before I really got to know Jesus - keep me strong - I pray - don’t let me let you down deliver me from evil - You can do it Lord for Thine is the Kingdom, the power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen
Then, as I always do, I pray for the needs of my family this fellowship and the people I’ve promised to pray for who need God in a special way, healing, comfort, strength.
Then - and only then - at last - I asked God to show me where my money was -
No sooner had I asked - straight away He reminded me that yesterday I had visited Richard Barratt in hospital and so had my uniform on. I had then gone to the shops on my way home - I never wear my uniform during the week unless I am doing a funeral of visiting the hospital out of visiting hours.
I checked in my back pocket and there it was wrapped around my bank cards. Wow! I got back down on my knees and thanked God and apologised for not going to Him first. I bet He laughed - I was thrilled. I realised that He had not only answered my prayer for the lost money and card but that He had answered the prayer that I had been praying all week that God would show me what I needed to share with you all from His word this morning. It so fittingly followed on from what we discussed last Sunday morning - the need for obedience.
That’s just a paltry example- a minor thing compared with the mighty things Jesus prayed for. The truth is that God revealed Himself and His power in Jesus . The Awesome -Humbling truth is that ever since then - God revealed and still continues to reveal His awesome power through ordinary people like you and me.Jesus’s power and authority came from His prayer life - keeping in touch with His Father. You and I need to look at our prayer life - do we ONLY take time out to pray when we need something - when we are afraid - when we feel helpless? Just as in maintaining and building our body to keep healthy and in shape, so too we need to maintain and build our Spiritual selves by disciplining ourselves to set a pattern in our daily living that includes prayer and the reading of our bible.
In the physical realm if we didn’t eat regularly then we would starve. So too in the Spiritual realm if we don’t pray or read our bibles we would die spiritually. Because Jesus maintained a regular prayer life, He was empowered and equipped to do things that others found difficult or well nigh impossible. Spending time in prayer and bible study with our Father God empowers us to do the things that without Him would be impossible. We’ve seen that time and time again here at Idle. My malfunctioning Kidneys - ready to go down to the operating Theatre for another operation to - David Murden came and prayed with me - I woke the next morning to find that the operation had been cancelled because ‘for some reason my kidneys had started to work again‘. Fifteen years ago I was healed of the deepest cancer they had seen. Then there was 11 year old Christopher a lad who all the time we knew him needed to wear calipers on his legs - he came out to share one Sunday morning to tell us that he was afraid as the folowing Thursday he had to see a specialist who was going to have a steel rod inserted in Christophers spine to try correct curvateour of the spine. I laid hand on him and prayed for healing - the following week he came in and shared with excitement that he didn’t need the operation as ’Jesus has healed me’ even the calipers on his legs had been removed. We have seen so many miracles here at Idle inn the last 15 years - Adam, a new born baby who was in intensive care as his lungs were not working - we prayed and a week later he was home - healed.
You all know abut the Financial provisions - the Halls new roof £160000, new chairs £ 6000 Windows £ 12 0000 the building of the Community Hall next door £175 000, every penny came provided by the Lord through prayer. Just as the power of God was manifest through Jesus, so too the power of God continues to be seen in and through His people down through history and even today. We don’t need to just read it in books - we’ve witnessed it in our own fellowship. Praise be to God!For Jesus to show what God was really like meant spending time in His presence. If we want to BE like Jesus - we need to spend time in His presence.
We are often told aren’t we that we become like the company we keep. Often it’s mum or dad that tells us in an effort to make sure that we stay in good company and not adopt bad attitudes and actions. It‘s so true- we are so often more likely to be influenced by those we spend the most time with. Next Wednesday the 11 February will be exactly a year since my lovely Beryl went to live with the Lord - I’m not looking forward to that day - but one thing for sure is that Beryl is with the Lord and one day we will be together again. Beryl, when she was able, had a good prayer life - only the other day I found a little note tucked into her daily bible where she had scribbled the following notes to be used in her prayers - help for speaking to others about God. The need to pray for our son and my dad, and Lord, not to think selfishly about with Mum ( Billy’s mum who had Alzheimers) and to help me (Beryl) to be the kind of person God wants me to be‘.
One of the most rewarding things about our lives together is that because of our love and devotion - the two of us became one - Soul mates. Especially over the last few years. And that’s what happens when we spend more time with our Father God - we become more like Jesus and it will show in the life we live and the influence we have on others.Prayer is one of the ways we keep in touch with God. As we have seen, Prayer was a priority in the life and ministry of Jesus and if He needed to do that - how much more do we. What a friend we have in Jesus - what a privilage to carry everything to God in prayer. Just as we are influenced by the company we keep - so too spending time in His presence will show as we become more and more like Him.Sunday 1 February 2015 Luke 5;1 Jesus calls the first disciplesLukes version of the calling of the first disciples told us how Jesus, walking on the shore of Lake Galilee saw Peters boat and asked him to cast out a little away from the shore so that He could speak to the crowds on the sea front. The boat became His pulpit. After Jesus had finished speaking he then told Peter to cast out into the deep and let down his net for a great catch.
Suprisingly, Simon, the experienced fisherman, did what Jesus said even though they had spent all night fishing and caught nothing. I can just imagine Peter shrugging his shoulders openning his hands and telling Jesus ‘we’ve been out all night and caught nowt - but if you says so - allright’.
I just wonder what great sermon Jesus had preached from the shore that had inspired Peter to do what the carpenters Son said. WOW! I pray every morning for God to give me the words to share with others that will give them a desire to want to know Him more. I also pray that God will help me to live my life in such a way that people will be able to SEE the way in which knowing God makes a difference to me and could for them too.
Peter and the other fishermen responded to the challenge of Jesus and did as He said and we are told that the catch was great - so great that it took Peters boat and the other boats to bring the huge catch to shore. This obviously had a great impact on Peter whose response was to fall on his knees and confess his sinfulness to Jesus
Luke tells us that they were all astonished and left their nets to become followers of Jesus. It wasn’t just what Jesus said that impacted their lives - it was what He did - how He showed them the power of Gods word. Jesus made such and impression on their lives that they not only left everything to follow Him but they went and told their friends and relatives to ‘Come and see for yourselves’.
It was the same later on when Jesus healed the blind man ‘ come and see a man who has changed my life - a man who knows me better than I know myself -a man who I want to live my life for. It was the same with the woman at the well - she went away and told her family too.
The disciples saw first hand the power and authority of Jesus that instilled confidence in Him and the need to be obedient to Him whatever that meant. Jesus wanted people to SEE the power of God in action . Jesus wanted people to realise that whilst up to now they had lived self focused lives - that by believing in Him their lives could be transformed. They could be forgiven of their past foolishness and set on the right path.A sign we see on many church notice boards says ‘Carpenter needs joiners’. That’s not what is wanted, Jesus needs ‘believers’ not just joiners. Thankfully they didn’t just join the band of Jesus’s followers they believed in Him and wanted others to know the truth that they had found. - The only ‘joiner’ in their team was Jesus - they were fishermen who would become fishers of men.
To become a disciple of Jesus you simply have to come and see and let what you see encourage you to take the next step which is to confess your sins, receive forgiveness, be emptied of self and filled with the Holy Spirit.
Last week we talked about the highway of Holiness and how the only way onto that pathway - that highway to life as God intended it to be for us all -was to repent the past, receive forgiveness from God and start the new exciting journey of discovery as you learn more about Gods forgiveness and His plan and purpose for our lives.
These ordinary guys, fishermen became the first followers of Jesus - the ransomed, the redeemed - although they had taken that first step onto the highway of holiness - they still had a lot to learn and they did that by giving their lives and their time to Jesus. For the next three years they would, by example, see the power of God in the life of Jesus. They would see the sacrificial love of God in Jesus as He gave His very life - aged 33 - to pay sins price and make forgiveness and new life available to the whosever.
When we read the Acts of the Apostles we can see how one of the disciples, Peter the fisherman - went on to impact the lives of over 3000 people listening to him on the day of Pentecost that they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and became followers of Jesus. The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon's Colonnade. No-one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. Believers not mere joiners.
Who could have envisaged the impact that the calling of those first disciples would have. Ordinary men - fishermen who would go on after the death and ressurection of Jesus to become witnesses to what they had both seen and heard.
Today God calls an ex printer (me), a man who works at an undertakers, (Brian) a nursery worker (Rachel), a school assistant (Julie), a couple of amateur theatricals, (Brian and Shirley) people who’s lives have been transformed by God and are now ministering in His name to transport victims of human trafficking to places of safety (Frank and Jean) and take the words of God into the pubs (Brian Aldous).So many of you here this morning who have accepted the call of God to become followers of His and live lives that will show the love of God to others.Just as Jesus called the humble fishermen to walk the walk with Him as His disciples, to learn from His example how to show love and concern for others and develop a heart for the lost, so too today God calls us from all walks of life to take up our cross and follow Him.
The call to follow Him can be a costly experience as it was for the disciples who by the example of Jesus - were willing to give up their lives for what they believed.
We read in the daily newspapers and see it on TV how Christians in far off lands are being killed simply for saying they are Christians - we might not be called to lay down our physical lives but we are called to BE Disciples and share the good news that we have received to those who are ignorant about the word of God.
There is a great need today for those who have become modern day disciples of His to take up the challenge of the cross and share the good news with their fellow men.
God reconciled men back into His family through the life and message of Jesus and today He continues to do that through the likes of me and you.
Paul writing to the Church at Corinth says this;"that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation." - II Corinthians 5:18-19On Tuesday we will watch a film about 5 missionaries who only 20 years ago felt they needed to take the gospel to a tribe of Auca Indians and were killed by the very people they wanted to share Gods love with.
They were Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Peter Fleming and Ed McCully five men that understood God's message of reconciliation for all peoples. While working in a nearby tribe in Equador, they heard about the Auca Indians, a violent and murderous tribe that had virtually no contact with the outside world. Surrounding tribes labeled them "savages. The men decided that they wanted to move into the Auca region in an attempt to learn the Auca language, translate the Bible, and share the gospel.
For the next three months they made flights over the Auca's village. They dropped supplies and gifts in pursuit of friendship and trust. On Tuesday, January 3, 1956 the men set up camp, and invited the Aucas to visit their them. By Saturday morning all contact with the men had been lost. They were later found speared to death by the very people that they were trying to reach.The effort to reach the Auca Indians was not abandoned. Spurred on by the death of their husband and brother, Elisabeth Elliot and Rachel Saint, went to live among the Auca Indians. The tragic event of Nate Saints death didn't deter his sister Rachel but rather intensified her passion to go to them. Rachel, who worked for Wycliffe Bible Translators, had the scriptures translated the Auca language.
Nine years after the tragic event in 1965, the Gospel of Mark was published in the Auca language. By this time, the head of the tribe, Kimo, who was one of the killers who had responded to the love of God as shown through the 5 missionaries had himself become a Christian pastor, baptized Nate's children.
God awesome truth was that God used these women, a wife and sister of the slain missionaries, to reconcile with the Aucas and bring them ultimate reconciliation of Christ's salvation. The Auca Indians quickly realized their mistake in killing the very men that loved them enough to bring Christ's message of reconciliation to them.
What stands out so much in this is that the Auca Indians were able to accept the message spoken of Christ's death because they were able to see the message lived out in the lives of the 5 missionaries who were truly disciples of God. Just like Jesus who showed the first disciples the love of God, by living the life. He even went further by Giving His life on the cross so that all those who accepted His message would be reconciled to God. That’s what the 5 missionaries did when they gave their lives to bring new life to the Auca indians
All God wants His people to do today is live their lives in obedience to His word and show His love to a dismissive and often unresponsive world.
To become ‘Fishers of men’ or in in the case of a printer to let the printed WORD become Flesh. To a nursery worker or School assistant - be concerned about the future of Gods children. To the amateur theatricals - stick to the script and make it real, to the human traffic workers - keep up the good work of saving the lost - to Brian encourage people to live lives that will ensure their entry to eternal life God wants us to become true followers of Him - to live the life and encourage others to accept Him as their Lord and Saviour.
One of Frank Sinatra’s songs says this ‘I’m gonna live till I die, I’m gonna laugh till I cry, I’m gonna take the world and turn it upside down, I’m gonnan live, live, live until I die - Great if that means your gonnsa live for Christ who Himself turned the world upside down. Sadly the world harkens more to the second part of that song which goes on to say ‘I’ll be a devil till I’m and angel’ - how foolish - yet there are many in the world today who think that they can live their lives without a thought for God and still get to heaven. That’s why God calls us to be disciples of Jesus so that we can become witnesses to the truth and share that truth with others.Sunday 25 January 2015Isaiah 35:1 Wow! What an awesome message from God as He heralds the rise of a people from hopelessness and despair of continually fighting against defeat to victory, new life and a new purposeful direction travelling on a highway of hope opened up for them by God.
Just highlighting the progression of the text we have just read we can see the plan of God for His people unfolding.
The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy as they see the glory of the LORD, the splendour of our God. The pathway of life as we knew it will take on a new perspective"Be strong, do not fear; your God will cometo save you." And when he does, the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. The lame will leap like a deer, and the silent tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness and only the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. WOW! We started this year by reading the words from Isaiah that told us to ‘Forget the former things, See I am doing a new thing can’t you see it? I’m making a way through the desert’ etc - today Isaiah talks of the desert as becoming a place of gladness and the wilderness blossoming with new growth and life that brings forth joy."Be strong, do not fear; your God will come to save you." Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. In other words what you failed to see or understand regarding the things of God will be made clear - your eyes will be opened and the ears that failed to hear Gods voice speaking through His word - will be opened.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. Refreshing life giving water that will help sustain you through the most difficult of times The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. Gods provision is there for us allWhat a promise -where life without God is hopeless, like living in a desert or wilderness - life with Him will be victorious because we will know His presence and His help.
I love these next verses that promise that not only will He sustain His people and keep us strong, that He will be with us every step of the way on our spiritual Journey giving us purpose, and direction. And a highway will be there; a clearly defined new pathway for our lives it will be called the Way of Holiness. Holiness - I think that often the word holiness paints a picture of the unattainable - a way of life that is way out of reach of the ordinary man and women. But holy simply means apart from - a desire to change - a desire to walk in the ways of God to follow His example live good, clean, wholesome lives under the direction of God. Jesus said that we are all called to be Holy as I am holy.
Back to the highway, because it’s a holy highway The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; That way being Gods way.
Wicked fools will not go about on it. - only the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the LORD - those for whom Jesus died, who have asked for forgiveness for their past and accepted Him as their Saviour the ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
I believe that here, God not only paints a picture for His people then - as they will be set free from bondage under the oppressive Egyptians and set on the path to the promised land -but a view of the future when Jesus comes to give His life on the cross. The time when He will come and make a way out of sin and set those who accept Him on a new pathway to freedom and new life today and in the eternity to come.
We are all on a journey, the pathway of Holiness that takes us from the wilderness of life with all it’s difficulties - and places us on a heavenly catwalk - the way of Holiness. A highway that is for the redeemed, the ransomed of the Lord, those who have been cleansed of their sin, washed in the blood of Jesus and determined to Walk in the Way.
He wants us to know His forgiveness, experience His presence and indwelling that will transform our lives and make them attractive to the world around us, our friends, neighbours, family. I believe that God wants to walk with us on the real highway of life that will sustain us through this earthly life and lead us to Heavens gates. God wants to show us how to live lives that will encourage others to join us. It all starts with you and me - capturing the vision of what God can do in our lives.
We are invited to step off of lifes futile journey and step onto the pathway of Holiness. It’s like getting your preliminary licence to drive.The gateway to the pathway of Holiness is repentance and forgivenessThrough the graciousness of Almighty God He has made it possible for those who repent their sins and accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour to receive forgiveness and become an heir to the Kingdom.
In Romans 5;8 Paul tells us that God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!
The first condition is that we must repent our sinfulness, believe that He died for our sins, accept Him as our Lord and Saviour, receive His forgiveness and become disciples of His - desiring in our hearts to be committed to Him and His will . Then we have the right to step up onto that highway of holiness and begin to walk in the way of holiness.The second step is that of Obedience and Commitment to His will As every new driver knows - one has to learn respect on the highway, that’s why we have a Highway Code - In our Spiritual journey we have Gods word - the Bible - our highway code for the Christian pathway.
In 1 Peter 1:1 -Peter talks about Obedience and commitment Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. . . . .
. . . . . . Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; Chaos on the road if we ignore the Highway code - Gods word - set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." Chosen by God - the gift new birth into a living hope - An inheritance held in a safe place ‘Heaven’ until you say ‘Yes’ Lord. Every so often I used to receive a letter from the readers Digest to say that I am one of the finalists in their prize draw. A letter addressed - supposedly - personally to me.
‘Yes Mr Cowgill of Overdale Drive Thackley - you have definitely won one of these four great prizes -1 A cheque for £300 000 made out to Mr Cowgill of Overdale Drive, Thackley 2Top of the range Car -
3 A dream holiday to the Bahamas - or a Surprise award.
What are you waiting for? - just stick the ‘YES’ stamp on the envelope and send it off today! It’s a ‘personal invitation from the Managing Director to you Mr Cowgill’ What they didn’t tell you in the big print was that you had to take out a years subscription to Which magazine and that the surprise award is a Parker Pen if your lucky.
Today it’s got more sophisticated - it’s all done on the computer. I can’t count the times this year already that I’ve been approached to say that I’ve got some unclaimed money waiting for me - all I have to do is put my bank details in the computer and they’ll put the money into your account - simple - what could be easier?
Anyone with any sense knows that in this life - there’s no such thing as ‘ Somat for nowt’ In this world you pay for everything you get. But in Gods Word - God makes an offer no one could refuse - God has the Gift of eternal life waiting for those who stick that necessary stamp and say YES to God.
The prize isn’t just the promise of Eternal Life in the Heaven of the future - but New Life that starts ‘now’ This is the Heaven on earth that we talked about this morning. - an instant reward for a simple YES and a future prize for being faithful. Thats both a Prize waiting to be collected in the future and an instant prize NOW - Blessed Assurance. And it’s FREE - Jesus paid the price on Calvary - He gave His life for you.
The promise for us all is this God has given us New Birth into a living hope, an inheritance kept in Heaven. Therefore prepare your minds for action; as obedient children don't conform to the to the evil desires you had before when you lived in ignorance, but just as He who called you is holy Be Ye Holy.
I don't know about you, but if I were completely honest, I have to confess that there are times, all too frequent, when I feel anything but 'holy'. I seem to spend more time repenting of things in my life that I know are wrong, being forgiven, behaving myself for a while and then finding myself doing or thinking some of the same things again and seeking forgiveness. I guess if your honest, the same applies in your life.
Why is that? Why is it that no sooner do you start the Christian journey you seem to have more downs than ups, you set off with real determination, but don't seem to get very far. There seems to be more snakes than ladders on the journey of life.
I don't believe for one minute that some of the greats in the bible didn't have problems or difficulties, and I don't mean the persecution that was evidenced in their lives. I mean the difficulties of doubt and uncertainty, of failure and disappointment. Despite that -God still worked through them - with all their faults and failings.
Listen to this admission 'I don't understand what I do. For what I want to do I don't do, but what I hate, I do.' and how about this ' I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Who is this wretched man, surely it can't be one of the believers, can it? It certainly can; this is Paul, the one chosen by Jesus to take the gospel to the Gentiles.
David prayed 'Search me O God, know my heart, test me, and know my anxious thought'. He didn't say Lord look at all the awful sinful things that I have done, the awful consequences of the wrong decisions I have made. I have been a slave to lust, I have killed to get what I wanted, misused my power by Lording it over others.'
He didn't need to say any of that, God knew that, David’s sinfulness was the result of inner thoughts, motives, attitudes. That’s why he cried ‘Lord! search out all those wrong hidden desires, those impure thoughts, those selfish motives, those self seeking ideals that I have, Get right to the route of the problem Lord - search my heart - know me, change me!' This is the impassioned cry of a repentant man, a man who wants to BE Gods man through and through - a cry from the heart for God to change him from within
The first two steps on the ladder of holiness, are Honesty the preliminary licence that leads to repentance and forgiveness - be honest with yourself - say your sorry to God- stick that YES stamp on Gods invitation and give yourself in complete Obedience - that’s a desire to stick to the Highway code- the word of God.
If you havent already - join in the walk - say sorry to God for the past faults, failings, sins, and step onto the way of holiness and lets walk together with God along the road that holy men have trod. Leave the old ways and step out into a new adventure. The great thing is that you’re not alone - we have the Holy Spirit - our SAT Nav to keep us on course as we travel on the Highway to Heaven.Sunday 11 January 2015Matthew 20; 29 -34 As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. “Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.” Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him. _________________________________________
What a marvellous miracle to give sight to not just one, but two blind men. Men who had obviously heard about Jesus and His power. Two men who obviously had faith in Jesus. I love the response of Jesus when they cried out to Him for mercy. He could see they were blind but He still asked them ‘What do you want Me to do for you?
“Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.” We want to see. Jesus simply touched their eyes and we are told that immediately they could see and they followed Him.
Last week we read the words of God through Isaiah the prophet who cried out ‘Forget the former things, don’t dwell on the past, see I am doing a new thing, can’t you see it, I’m making a way through the desert’ I said then that we have before us a New Year - a fresh start, another opportunity to move on and claim all that Christ has in store for us.
I said then that in this last year, we’ve all had our share of problems, God speaking through Isaiah encourages us to - capture the vision of what He has in store for you and for this Church here at Idle. See I’m doing a new thing - don’t you see it.
All over the Territory in the Salvation Army this day is Commitment Sunday. A time when we are encouraged to ’Open your eyes’ to see all that God has in store for those who love Him.
‘Open your eyes’? That’s exactly what Jesus did for the two blind men.
They were physically blind - terrible as that must be but one thing they were not and that is spiritually blind - they had faith in Jesus. Last year I used the well known phrase that the world holds dear to and that is that ‘Seeing is believing’
I said that as Christians we know the reverse and that ‘believing is seeing’ in other words, where the world will only believe if he can see it for himself - needing proof for everything, as Christians we know that ’believing opens up the eyes of faith and so believing is seeing’.
What is so sad is that there are many people who would call themselves Christians who clamour after proof and are so often bogged down by doubts. Helen Keller, the blind and deaf woman who made history by learning to overcome her disability was once asked if there was anything worse than being blind. ‘Oh , yes! there is, it’s being able to see and yet not having any vision.Jesus, quoting Isaiah 42;20 , explains why He speaks in parables because; Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In other words, They’ve got eyes but they can’t see the truth when it’s before them, they’ve got ears, but they’re not listening -their closed to the truthMatthew 13;13 from The Message That's why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight. In their present state they can stare till doomsday and not see it, listen till they're blue in the face and not get it. I don't want Isaiah's forecast repeated all over again: Your ears are open but you don't hear a thing. Your eyes are awake but you don't see a thing.Then v16 Jesus commends His followers "But you - you’ve God-blessed eyes—eyes that see! And God-blessed ears—ears that hear! Al Jolson wasn’t the first to say ‘You aint seen nothing yet’ God said it - firstly through Isaiah ( Isaiah 64;4) and then we were reminded by the Apostle Paul However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"-- 1 Corinthians 2;9 You aint seen nothing yet!
The bible is full of visionaries whose eyes were open to the things of God. Just like Jesus said, God opened their eyes by showing them things that help them to understand His greater purpose. Ezekiel in the valley of dry bones usd to show him the dry, lifeless state that Gods people had allowed themselves to fall into - ‘can these bones live? Was the question - God only knows was the answer. God showed how by putting flesh on the bones and breathing new life into the bodies that revival could come. O how the church needs that kind of revival today.
Gods people need to re- capture the vision of all that God wants to do in and through us in the world today to build His church and become His kingdom people.We are here this morning in the Salvation Army, because one man‘s eyes were opened by God to see the needs of mankind, not just the physical deprivation but the Spiritual neglect of a people who had wondered far from God. William Booth had eyes that were open to all that God wanted to show him and ears open to hear what the Lord was saying He wanted William to do.
God gave William Booth a vision of a world to come. A world where there was no room for injustice, intolerance, greed and selfishness. God called William Booth to mobilise His people to continue the work that Jesus started of meeting the needs of mankind, reclaiming them for God by saving mans soul. God needs 'visionaries' today! People who although they themselves may not have been given a 'Vision', have somehow captured the vision of what God wants to accomplish in His church . People who are seeing their own lives changing, receiving and enjoying the New life that God is blessing them with. People who listen when God says ‘I want to open your eyes to what’s happening in the world today and your ears to hear my voice - I want to open your mind and open your heart.
Just like the Israelites, we are Gods chosen people, God hasn’t brought us this far for nothing. I’m talking not just about the SA Global but Idle SA. Me You. Think back to where you were a few years ago - what were your hopes and dreams then - what was your relationship with God like then - How strong was your faith?
When I look back at the way in which God has led me I am amazed. A successful young 31 year old Salvationist - so I thought - who had come through the ranks, S/Coy Ldr, Bandmaster - then the Murdens came.
Through them, God opened my eyes to see that I didn’t really know Him, that I was busy’ doing’ and needed to stop and ‘catch the vision of what God wanted me to do’.
That was in 1971 and I plodded on for the next 13 years with a passion to do Gods will, not realising what God had in store for me - and this Corps.
Then one afternoon in 1984, God gave me a word from Jeremiah 29 which I interpreted as saying ‘I am going to take you out of the familiar, open up your mind and show you what I am doing in other places and how it can change your life and the life of this fellowship’ - then I will bring you back - the plans I have for you are good’
He did exactly that, he took me out, I started the New Life Fellowship on the edge of Thorpe Edge estate along with others whom He had taken out of their fellowships, Two Salvation Army Officers from Holmewood, Ian and Mary Sinclair, Ray and Pamela Powell from Leeds Road Baptist. Julie Barrans, George and Jean from Holy Trinity along with Tracey ( Milne), Margaret and Colin Deakin from West Bowling SA, Bobby Sylvester from Idle SA and many others.
We sought the Lord and grew in Him. Never in my wildest dreams did I know that God was going to bring me back to Idle Corps. But when the time was right, just like He said, God brought me back here less than a year later in 1985.
Idle Corps was by this time a very small Corps officered by Cpt Stephen Jocelyn. Not many came to the morning meetings, I remember, when some of the New Life fellowship came to the first Sunday morning we more than doubled the congregation.
Over the next few years we had Penny Wood, Linda Crew, then dry rot and had to close the Corps for a while and worship at Idle Baptist Church. We had some meetings in the afternoon at Stonebridge which I led. For a year we were without officers and then David Holliday came followed by Norman and Christine Ord.
During that time God opened a new way for me and Beryl as in 1994 God sent Betty Matear to be our Officers for a short time until DHQ had decided what to do about Idle Corps. The rest is history - Betty asked Beryl and I to become the Officers of our own Corps - we prayed about it and accepted and in October of that year along with Ray and Pamela Powell, we were commissioned as Salvation Army Officers in a service at Brighouse and became the CO’s of Idle in June 1995 - 20 years ago.
So this was what God meant when He said ‘I know my plans for you, they are good ones, to prosper you‘. We can never know what God has in store for us, but if we are obedient to Him - then He will achieve great things through us. We become partners in Gods Kingdom Building business.
The Church moves forward when men and women are open to the voice and will of God. The church triumphs when men and women not only listen to the words of God but are bold enough to embrace it and put flesh on the vision and live the dream.
William Booth was such a man who did just that when, during a long train journey, God gave him a vision of the drowning masses in the sea of this world who needed a Saviour to step into the water and rescue them. Booth saw this as a indictment on individuals in the church who even though they themselves had been rescued from that swirling sea were now too busy in their activities within their churches to care about the drowning masses
That was the birth of the caring, serving, evangelistic souls saving Salvation Army
O for people who will catch the vision of what God wants His church to be and do instead of busying themselves in activities within the church that have very little to do with reaching the masses with the life changing gospel.
Just Look around you. This Church has never been better equipped to fulfil Gods mission of bringing hope, Forgiveness, New Life to the people out there who as yet don’t know that there is more to life than this.
God not only gave me the vision for the Community Hall - He provided the money chairs, New windows, Decorations. He’s brought many of you here this morning in to help with all that - Why do you think He did all that? For nothing?
Don’t be misled into thinking that you are here this morning by chance - God wants you to be a part of all that He is going to accomplish here at Idle in the next few years that will bring new life, purpose and direction to this Corps. God planned for you to be here - He wants you to be prepared to capture the vision of all that He wants to do here in Idle to bring others into the Kingdom. See I am doing a new thing - don’t you see it? Capture the vision.
What were the words God gave me back in 1984 from Jeremiah 29? He would take me out, open my spiritual eyes and then bring me back, I will bring you back to the land of Israel - to me that was here- Idle SA. And He did I will put my Spirit in you and you will live - I remember the time He did that!I will settle you in your own land - so settled that you will become the COThen you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.' " And YES. I do.
God has plans for us all if only we will seek to know them and capture the vision.
The week before Christmas I payed a long needed visit to the opticians. I was tested and prescribed new lenses. That was 5 weeks ago. Last week I received the text that they were ready for collection. Here I am today - and I still haven’t been to get them -
Yet I know that when I do - I’ll be able to see much more clearly than I do now.
If God asks you the same question Jesus asked the blind men ‘what do you want me to do for you’ what would it be ‘ To open your eyes to see Him more clearly - to open your ears to allow you to hear and recognise His voice. To be able to distinguish between the voices of the world and the voice of God
Maybe this morning God is saying to you - I want to give you better vision
I want to open your eyes to all that I have in store for you.
I want you to see me as I really am - clearly and in focus.
Maybe this morning God is saying to you -' Your new glasses are ready' all you have to do is claim them for yourself.
Today is commitment Sunday when we are encouraged to ‘open our eyes’ capture the Vision of what Gd wants to do in your life - How about it?Sunday 5 January 2015Isaiah 43:1 But now, this is what the LORD says - he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. "You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no saviour. I have revealed and saved and proclaimed - I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "that I am God. Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No-one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?" This is what the LORD says - he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honour me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.
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Here we are, 2015 - 2014 has now been relegated to the history books. I know that that in our personal lives we’ve had some good times and some difficult ones. Who’d have thought when we met this time last year that within a month Beryl would be leaving us and going to heaven. So many of us have had an extremely difficult year.
Last year I said that whatever we are called upon to face this year - God will not let us down - He will be there for us. As always, He will be our strength, our comfort, our helper - Whatever - He will see us through. Little did I realise then, that I was going to experience that for myself.
We’ve read some of the many names of Jesus over Christmas, Comforter, Guide, Light, Councellor, Prince of Peace - Mighty God everlasting Father and Jesus will be all those to each one of us this coming year.
The promise we have just read from Isaiah is for you and me this year as always that when the going gets tough - He will be there for us.
How many times have you felt that lifes getting on top of you and your up to your neck in it and sinking fast. ‘I will be with you’ says our Father; and ‘when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. We say don’t we that when faced with lifes problems, that we are up to our neck in. When you pass through the waters’ I will be with you - says God
We say don’t we, when the pressure is on that things are hotting up - Don’t let it get you Why? For when you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.For I AM the LORD, YOUR God, the Holy One of Israel, YOUR Saviour;
The promise was a word of re-assurance to His people who He had helped in past times by taking them out of bondage and slavery and setting them on course for a purposful life. He’d parted the Red Sea when they faced it’s inpenetrable forces. He had provided water from the rock and food in the barren wastelands of the desert. ‘I did it before and I’ll do it again - I will save and redeem my People who will themselves become living Testimonies and bear witness that what I have done in their lives - I am able to do in those who hear their testimony and choose to follow Me..
He had more than shown He was true to His word in the way He brought His people out of bondage and set them on the path to the promised land - protecting them by night and day all along the way, even providing for them on their lifes journey
He did it then and He’ll do it again and again. Thats the pattern set that will establish and continue Kingdom growth where mankind are rescued from their own sinful selfish ways to be restored as Gods family living in right relationship with him and one another.
Thats the pattern set for the future under Christ as the Christian Faith is established and developed. The deliverance of mankind from the bondage of sin to set them on the pathway to the promised land. That's what the Lord did for the children of Israel and after bringing them out of bondage and slavery under the Egyptians He declared 'Look, I am with you, I who made a way through that impossible sea, I who parted those mighty waters and made the way clear for you to pass in safety, I was with you then, I am still with you, and I will continue to be with you for all that lies ahead.
Wow! what a comfort, to know that whatever they have to face in the unknown future, He who had been their strength, their shield, and their fortress will still be there to see them through! He’s not changed, that’s God’s promise to today, for those who have placed their lives into His hands
I’m sure that we can look back over the last year and also testify to the fact that God has been with us and will continue to be with us for as long as we desire to stay in the hollow of His hand. God does that for those who choose Him as their Lord and Saviour.
We know that together as a fellowship here at Idle - we can have a good time. It’s been great to see the way in which everyone works together to make this - Gods house - a nice safe and comfortable place to be. Many have said when they come in ‘It’s a warm and welcoming place’ and so it should be - but this Corps, this Church is more than the building - it’s the living body of Christ in the world today.
We as a family enjoy being together - but what I feel that what God is expresing here is a desire to take us deeper into Himself. God wants us to begin to know Him more and delight to be in His presence - to feel the intimacy of His love in a deeper way.
God is still in the business of redeeming His people, calling them to repent their old way of living and set them on the path of righteousness. We need to know that ourselves so that we can encourage others - who I believe God will direct to our fellowship - so that we can encourage others to turn their lives over to Him
Repentance is a word that covers a multitude of sins - big and small - and it’s the only way to come into the family of God. ‘Repent and sin no more’ is the first step.
That reminds me of the story told of the painter who was employed to paint the exterior of a house. He quoted cheap to get the job and then to make it more profitable, thinned the paint down with turps to make it go further. The trouble is he went too far and you could tell. When the owner of the house saw the result he wasn’t to pleased and told the painter that he would have to ‘repaint and thin no more’.
The beginning of a New Year is probable the best time to look back over the last year and see if there are any lessons to be learned from what we did or didn’t do.
There were probably things that happened last year that you wish you could change, things that you did that you regret, things that you said that you wish you hadn't as well as things that you should have said, but didn't. It’s time to ‘repent and sin no more’.
I believe that He who has been with us and seen us through 2014, wants us not to , dwell on the past', but move into 2015 a stronger and more together people.
When God says forget the former things‘, I don’t believe that He is talking about the painful things like loosing our loved ones, He means our sinful past- the mistakes, the failures - once we’ve asked Him to forgive us the past, He wants to give us the future.
He wants us to be obedient people who are ready to take hold of the vision of the New things that He is going to accomplish through us, you and me.
Thats why He goes on to say- See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honour me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.
Wow! Thats our God. Our creator, our Life Giver, our Saviour, our Father and our Friend. Make no mistake about it. If you have responded to the call of God, it's not because you chose to do so, but rather that He chose to call you into relationship with Himself.
Way back in the beginning of time, God 's sovereign will was that His creation would be reconciled back into His fold and family. Whilst Man in his foolishness chose to reject the will of God, God in His wisdom chose to make it possible for us to be reconciled, bought back with the precious life blood of Jesus.
Why did He chose to do this? Simply because He loves us! ‘God so loved the world’ and he wants to establish and build a New Kingdom that cannot be shaken by mans fickle selfish ways because everyone who he calls into this New Kingdom life will be people after His own heart who desire to live in love, peace and harmony with God and one another. The New Kingdom of God starts now and continues on into eternity.
Mans way was rebellion, Gods way is reconciliation.
This Christmas we celebrated the coming of the Saviour, long promised that would redeem Gods people. That work of reconciliation has been going on ever since, and will continue until Jesus comes again.
God wants to take the mistakes of our past, the foolishness of our selfish ways and misguided actions and offer forgiveness - a fresh start.
Last week we had a hint of snow - some more than others. Nothing like what we used to have when I was a lad - when you couldn’t open the back door because the snow had piled up a foot deep. They had snow in the Old Testament days. We are told that the mountain tops were covered in it. I guess that snow was the whitest thing that God could use as an illustration of purity. That’s why in the very first chapter of Isaiah we read these words ; Though your sins be as scarlet - they shall be as white as snow.
When I dictated my letters to my secretary Cecelia at Watmoughs, if she made a mistake she would tipex it out - only for internal memos of course. God doesn’t just tippex our mistakes - He gets rid of them entirely - as far as the east is from the West, so far has He removed our transgressions from us’ though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow’. God wants to give us all a new start with the assurance that if we accept, then as one of Gods privilaged people that He will never leave us or forsake us, that He will always be there for us when we go through the troubled patches of our lives - He will see us through to the promised land of eternity with Him.
When we go through the difficult times in our lives, knowing God is with us is our strength and without it we would not be able to cope. One of the good things that comes out of our trials is that we come through them stronger and better able to understand and help others who are going through similar situations.
Whatever God has in store for us, we can be assured of this - that He will never leave us or forsake us - He will be with us through it all. One of my favourite gospel songs by Andre Crouch says just thatThrough it all, - I’ve learned to trust in Jesus, I’ve learned to trust in GodThrough it all, I’ve learned to depend upon His wordI’ve had many tears and sorrows I’ve had questions for tomorrowThere’ve been times I didn’t know right from wrongBut in every situation God gave blessed consolation That my trials only came to make me strongI thank God for the mountains and I thank Him for the valleysI thank Him for the storms He brought me throughBut if I’d never had a problem I wouldn’t know that He could solve themI would never know what faith in God can do
We can not tell what 2015 has in store for any of us but what we can be sure of is that if we have placed our lives in His hands, He has promised to be with us all the way.
How can I make sure? Seek Him, Receive Him and Believe in Him, Give your lives over to Him Trust Him
Let's look forward to 2015 with the determination to seek His will. With the dedication and the zeal to see that His will be done. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honour me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.
Catch the vision of all that God wants to accomplish in your life, in this fellowship and step boldly into the future.
This year the Salvation Army celebrates it’s 150th Anniversary. I guess that William and Catherine Booth, when they started the Salvation Army, could never have envisaged how vast and mighty that Army would become. They moved forward in faith and obedience and God did the rest.
God can do that in your life and in the life of this fellowship. Lets make sure that we are all on board and going in the same direction with the same purpose in mind - to grow in Him, to become living examples of all that He can do in a persons life when they give their lives over to Jesus and to let His love be seen in the way in which we live our lives for Him..